Guardian Blue: Season 3
by sarsis
Summary: A new interim chief and a fresh, deep and meaningful relationship are the starting point for this next chapter in the life and adventures of Nick and Judy. They have been through a lot, but sometimes just day to day life can offer more challenges than the most harrowing case.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

 _It's time to start a new season. I will be posting this on the sec_ _o_ _nd anniversary of the first time I saw Zootopia. Last season was a fast, crazy ride, but I have a little bit of a change in tone planned for this season. I hope to draw it closer to the feel of Season One, but I will be taking a significantly more comic leaning in this attempt. So, hold my beer, Imma try this._

 ** _If you are just joining Guardian Blue for the first time,_** _you will want to check out Season 1 and 2 first, and I would highly recommend Thanks for the Fox even before that as well so everything makes sense. ^^_

 _Nick and Judy and all their friends and family are not mine. I do not have specific permission from Disney to use them. I do so for entertainment, and for the joy of others. Please use responsibly._

 _Also! A HUGE shout-out to J. N. Squire for assisting with editing for Season 3. Hopefully this season will be easier. I'm getting better at spotting the detail-errors._

 **Guardian Blue: Season Three**

 _Episode 1: Returning_

They sat again in a mostly dark room. There were the familiar wood-paneled and mostly sound-proof walls. Impressionist paintings with muted colors and natural, harmless imagery were at perfectly even intervals along the walls. A velvet-lined overly-comfortable chair not intended for a mammal less than three times her size was where the bunny rested nervously. These were all cozy features that Judy wished she were not so familiar with. Sitting across from her in a chair pulled in front of her own desk so she wasn't hiding behind it was Dr. Carlisle. Judy's least favorite part of this was the divider again. Why did she insist on making it so she couldn't see Nick? There had to be a reason. She did it last time, and now this time. The other unnerving part was that expression. Carlisle looked like Nick did when he stood in front of an assorted cheese platter. A slightly uncomfortable silence passed before Nick finally seemed unwilling to wait anymore.

"I had a dream that I was in that weird Bunny Pop video from the 90s, 'Mister Fox'. It was awful."

Judy sighed heavily. This was an important visit! "Ignore him, he's insufferable today." She glared at the divider as if Nick could see her through it, her ears back in frustration, little wiggling nose wrinkled.

"How is he usually?" asked the doctor. Judy snapped her attention back to the skunk. Okay, Carlisle was like a steel trap waiting for a random topic to wander by and Judy just dove right into it.

"Amazing," Nick responded immediately. The doe winced on her side of the divider. That would be seen as a character flaw for sure! His ego had to take a break when he was visiting with a therapist, surely!

"That one was directed to Judy," the skunk said with a patient smile.

"She's also amazing. You know, she should be a police officer. She'd make a good one," Nick insisted.

"We're working on that, Nicholas," Carlisle said. It was _still_ like claws on a blackboard, hearing her say his name. It just sounded all wrong.

Judy could see the mephit writing in her notebook. This wasn't even about him, what was she writing? This was going badly. Why could he not be serious? She knew they were supposed to act naturally, but this was not the time for banter. There would be time for that later!

"Focus!" the bunny finally snapped. "We don't get to stay in here as long as we want." Judy briskly tried to dismiss the behavior of her light-hearted partner. "Nick is being playful right now, but he's like that if there's a lot of stress. It's how he diffuses it." She didn't want the therapist to think they weren't taking this seriously. The bunny still needed to be cleared to return to active duty. Having Nick summarily _removed_ from it right when she got back would not be helpful!

"I know that already. I'm his therapist," Carlisle responded. "I want to know what _you_ know about him? This is what I usually see when dealing with him. What does Judy see when no one else is around? How does he act when it's just the two of you? Out on patrol. Hanging out off duty. Together, at home…" The last part was mentioned with a bit more weight. The bunny knew very well what Carlisle was getting at.

"Uh…" Nick seemed to worry about that. "This visit's still about Officer Hopps, right?"

Judy answered quickly. "He's reassuring, supportive, and kind. He likes to laugh and he can tell when I'm working too hard, so he will distract me at what feels like the wrong time… but is always the right time." There was silence from Nick's side.

Carlisle spoke in a quieter tone. "You hinted last time I met with you both that the two of you might be in a closer relationship than just work partners." Judy sucked in a deep breath. Yeah, that's where the skunk was going with this. It was expected. "…and I have heard the hints of rumblings of whispered secrets that it might even be even _bigger_ than dinner and a movie."

"Clawhauser," Nick and Judy said simultaneously.

The doctor bridged her slender mephit fingers in front of her. "It is curious… For literally everything else, you two haven't been even the slightest bit cagey, and the thing that's public record you shuffle your feet on. I feel like you are having fun with this."

"I just don't feel like it has much bearing on our duties. It's not like this developed three days ago." Judy knew her mate's explanation was carefully planned. They knew it would come up, and they didn't want it to have any bearing on Judy being cleared for duty.

The bunny had been in for two sessions on her own, and they talked about nothing except the events in The Interior, her injuries, how her family handled everything that had happened to her, and what she was dreaming about. Judy had been in therapy when Nick was lost under the city, and it felt pretty much the same. A lot of focus on how Judy was feeling, and how she felt about how she was being treated. With Nick there, the questions were different.

"Nicholas, are you concerned that your answers here will prevent your wife from returning to duty?" asked Carlisle. Judy knew that the skunk worded her question carefully and specifically. Nick would have to deny what Judy was if that was incorrect, but it was obvious that it was not.

"Correct." Nick said, answering her and simultaneously verifying what the skunk had been told.

"Do you want her to return to active duty?" she asked.

Judy furrowed her brow, dropping her ears back again. Why would she ask that? Oh. Oh no.

"I do." Nick verified.

"Desk duty is far less dangerous. You won't be placed in the position of feeling responsible if she is injured." Judy felt a wave of fear. Had Nick talked to Carlisle about that? Had he told her he was afraid to let her go back to active duty because she'd almost been killed? She knew it was hard on him, but they had talked about it. She even asked him if he was ready to start cleaning up the mean streets with her again.

Nick was quiet a moment, the skunk peering back at him, though Judy could not see his expression. He finally spoke.

"Doctor Carlisle… I know that you have not forgotten what happened to me several months ago. And I know you haven't forgotten what we have both likely explained that we went through in The Interior. I don't worry about whether or not I can protect Judy. She is every bit as capable as I am. I fear losing her. I fear seeing her hurt. But… I know this is what she's chosen to do with her life, and she chose to walk this path knowing the risk. Two years ago, knowing the same risks, I chose to walk this path with her. Don't make me a deciding factor for Judy serving alongside me. I need her out there helping to make Zootopia safe, not converting paw-written reports to digital." The bunny held her breath. Nick seemed to have actually considered that specific conversation. Either that, or he was just really that certain about his response.

The mephit spoke again in that casual, soothing tone. "Rest assured, Nicholas, unless your partner starts inexplicably knocking over the furniture in my office, she will be clear to return to work." Judy restrained a sigh of relief. She was so sick of being at a desk.

"Can I knock stuff over?" asked Nick with his smuggest tone.

"Nick!" Judy hissed.

"I don't see why not," Carlisle asked. Judy's heart lurched. No! Don't encourage-

 _Whumph_

Down the divider between her and Nick went. Judy looked in utter horror at her smiling mate. He sat back down in casual satisfaction. The bunny cupped her paws over her little muzzle.

"Better?" asked Carlisle.

"Lots," Nick chirped, smiling at the doe brightly. He looked so freaking proud of himself! How different were his sessions here? How could he just show… what was that, even? Destructive tendencies? What was he thinking? Did Carlisle actually expect him to do that? It was a puzzle to Judy how he'd managed to pass the initial psychological evaluation. She felt like if she had done this she'd have been committed!

The doctor pulled her from her quiet cringing. "So, let's talk about married life, Judy. Are there things about Nick that make this unusual relationship difficult?"

"I've recently learned that he knocks over furniture when merely presented with the opportunity," the bunny said, her voice rising slowly in pitch at her partner's behavior.

"You can put the divider back up if you like - it's quite light," the skunk explained.

Judy tried to relax. The doctor wasn't upset about it. She seemed to almost expect it. "That's not the problem. He just… I mean, _I_ would never…"

"Why not?"

"Because it's just not polite."

"I told him he could," informed Carlisle casually.

"What if he knocked your whole desk over?" Judy asked sharply, not understanding why Nick got to knock anything over at all.

"It would have been way louder," Nick offered. A bewildered Judy stared back at his pleased mug.

"He could have. But he didn't. He knocked over the screen." Carlisle said this in such a supportive tone. However, Judy immediately realized what had happened. The skilled doctor provided Nick with an opportunity out of sheer curiosity over what he'd do with that leeway. What he did must have answered some question or offered data to some measurement. The doe's heart sank. Nick chose to behave in a destructive manner in order to remove the barrier between him and his bunny. That could _definitely_ be seen as affecting their job.

"Judy, if I told you that you could knock anything in my office over without any repercussion… what would you knock over?" asked Carlisle.

"Nick." the doe deadpanned. The doctor and her partner both laughed hard. Judy was not as amused, but she did relax a little. It felt so much less formal than her usual visits.

"So, back to my earlier question, Judy…" The bunny perked up. "Any real difficulties?"

"Those don't apply to our job," the bunny defended.

"Judy… to believe that the other twelve to sixteen hours a day have no effect on the applicable eight or so is absolutely not realistic," the skunk stated.

"You will think it's dishonest when I tell you this, but there's really no difficulty with the relationship," Judy said with a sigh. "It's the truth. I've never been so happy in my entire life as I was when Nick joined it. At first, I thought it was just that I was a cop. It happened at about the same time, and that was what I had wanted since I was a kit. I figured that I was happy because I made a difference, and I was needed, and I just had the whole self-actualization thing going on. Then I started realizing that a part of that happiness that had been there the whole time had more and more to do with why I enjoyed it. I realized slowly that I needed him more than anything else."

"If I told you that you had to choose… Your life with him, or your life as a police officer… would you choose him?" asked the doctor. The question itself made Judy feel sick. She could very well mean it like it sounded. She might be forced to choose.

When she thought Nick had been killed, Judy actually thought very hard about whether or not she could continue being an officer. There were times, right after it happened, that she wasn't sure she could even resume being a bunny. Nothing had ever hurt so bad. She did not want to choose, but if she had to…

"I would choose Nick." The bunny stated this earnestly.

"Would that not take away from the citizens of Zootopia though? Your dream was to make it a better place, you said. You would stop doing that if it meant you could not have Nicholas?" The bunny winced again at her use of his full name.

It was her mate who answered. "Do you truly think that if Judy were forced to stop being a police officer… that she'd stop making Zootopia a better place?" Judy's ears went up and she looked over the fallen divider at Nick. He smiled genuinely at her.

"I don't think I've ever seen you make that expression, Officer Wilde," came the somewhat teasing tone of the mephit in her chair.

"It's reserved," he answered.

"You know that there will be some in the city who do not agree with your life-arrangement," explained the doctor.

"They aren't involved. I'm not vowed to any of them," Nick stated.

"Have your families been supportive of this arrangement?" asked the doctor. It was a sensible question.

"Yes, on both sides," the bunny replied.

"And the public?" asked the mephit.

"Largely unaware," Nick replied. "Most treat it like a rumor and the media's laser focused on the other fox-bunny pair. We don't go out of our way to make it anyone's business."

"How about your coworkers?" inquired Carlisle.

Nick answered. "If they aren't supportive it's because they just aren't interested."

Judy added, "And Chief Tora still doesn't believe we are really married, I think. She still uses our different last names. But… that might just be to avoid assignment confusion. That's possible." She didn't want to imply there was animosity toward the new chief. There really wasn't. The tigress had not been abusive or anything, she just hadn't paid much attention to the smallest officers.

"How are you getting along with Tora? I know you voiced some concerns that she might not approve of the two of you as officers." Judy glanced at Nick first. She was not supposed to ask for help dealing with their new chief. He didn't want to create drama where there was none. The doe had told Carlisle about the discussion that prompted such concerns, but the bunny made it clear they intended to give Tora some time.

"She's not given us a lot of attention, honestly. But I've been at a desk and Nick's been on fluff assignments." Judy explained. "I think she sees us as an unnecessary distraction to the other officers. But even Bogo was skeptical at first. I'm sure she'll be happy with our performance just like he was."

"Has Tora interfered directly with the performance of your duties?" asked the doctor. There was definite concern in her voice.

"It's not that she was ever outright hostile I guess… I just got the feeling that she thought our promotion… maybe our being officers at all… was a little fishy."

"Well, I don't know the ethics of my mentioning this, but as she's not directly my patient, I will state that I have been encouraged by our interim chief to help you return to duty, Officer Hopps." Judy perked at that. She saw that Nick did too. "I won't say more, but you should not stress about that. Continue to do your best. I am clearing you to return to duty."

"Yes!" Nick and Judy both cheered.

"However, speaking of fishy…" the doctor remarked, "I was curious about the mentioned dietary preference which was alluded to in a previous visit." Judy stared back at her with wide eyes. Oh. No, that had nothing to do with her mental health.

"I uh… I have eaten fish a couple of times, is all. I wouldn't call it a dietary preference…" The bunny looked uneasily at her mate. He didn't seem stressed by it. Nick wouldn't eat fish, and he'd been forced to when he was trapped under the city. Doing so had hurt him terribly.

"You have done this by accident, then?" asked the skunk.

"The first time, yes." Judy answered.

"How did that happen?" asked the mephit.

"I was accidentally given tuna in a salad. I didn't notice right away because of all the dressing." Judy explained. No harm in her mate knowing about that.

"Wait, in the cafeteria?" asked Nick with a worried tone. Great, now he was going to obsess over his salads. Judy nodded slowly.

"And you ate it again after that? Do you like it?" Carlisle asked.

"I don't…" She looked at Nick with worry. "I don't hate it?" She wanted to be honest. It's not like she was going to just order a tuna sandwich while they were out, that would be completely insensitive.

The doctor responded casually, "However, you don't normally eat it? Why not? It won't harm you. In fact, with the physical demands on your body with your line of work, the protein is good for you."

Judy stared blankly at Carlisle. She was there, surely she understood why. "Nick…" She hoped that was enough to remind her.

"Nick won't let you eat it?" she asked.

"I never said she couldn't. She doesn't stop me from eating shrimp," Nick informed. His tone made it obvious that he didn't want to be seen as controlling, and he really hadn't ever expressly told Judy not to. She'd just never asked.

"I am pretty sure there are social reasons for me to maybe not order a tuna salad at lunch, Dr. Carlisle." Judy said this with a smile to imply she wasn't offended.

"And those social reasons might discourage you from marrying a fox," the mephit informed. She really did seem to just be trying to figure all of it out. There was so much going on there. Judy knew she would be neck deep in it when she got there.

"I don't love the fish. That's different," Judy explained.

"So… you care about what society thinks unless it's something you love." Carlisle said this with an air of authority.

"I guess. Sometimes." Judy wasn't sure what point she was trying to make.

Nick spoke up. "Society didn't agree with Carrots being a cop, but that was what she loved. And she ended up with a badge." Judy glanced back to her partner and smiled. "Society might not believe she should be with me… but she loved that too… and now she's got a fox. You know what else she'd love? A sweet cherry red Mustang." Nick nodded. "Yup. So I just gotta wait for it." The bunny rolled her eyes. She thought… she truly believed… he was having a serious moment.

The doctor laughed at that. "Thank you Nicholas, I'm sure you will both enjoy it." She looked at the clock and then turned to the next page of her notebook. "We are out of time, but I think we have taken care of what we needed to. I do have a one more matter I wish to discuss… something I wish to ask as a favor."

"If we can help, we will," Judy answered.

"May I document the details of our sessions in regard to your relationship? This is a situation which has never been carefully or reliably documented." Judy recoiled at that a little. She hadn't expected to have that asked of her. It was almost certainly not part of Carlisle's job.

"We aren't an experiment to study, Doctor." Nick stated. "This might advance your career, but I honestly would not have figured you for the type."

"You're right, I'm not the type," Carlisle said softly. "There are not many resources in the psychology community for understanding and discussing situations like yours. Nicholas… you and Judy are very deeply bonded, highly intelligent, physically healthy and well adjusted."

"Please don't stop," Nick said with a grin. Judy pitched a pillow at him.

The skunk continued, "There are many mammals who are not so fortunate in their relationship, and there are lots of problems that can arise. Knowing how the two of you face those problems, how you support one another, and what you do to cope with the differences and the feedback of others may be a great help to others. I don't have to include your names, though I suppose most could guess."

"We aren't hiding, we just aren't advertising," Nick explained again.

"You can refuse, it won't have any bearing on anything going forward, but I would like to meet with you both once monthly and just talk about how your lives are going. If you would be willing, I will even allow you to write the schedule."

Nick answered calmly, "I defer to my wife on this." It pleased Judy every single time he called her that, and it was actually pretty rare that he used it around others who were not directly and closely involved with them, like family or close friends.

"I will allow it," Judy stated in a slow, earnest tone, "But I have a requirement… completely non-negotiable." She glanced back at her curious-looking partner.

Carlisle answered evenly, "I appreciate this, Judy. I will meet this requirement if I can. What is it you would ask of me?"

The doe pointed at her mate and gazed hard at the skunk. "Stop calling him Nicholas."

The overcast skies overhead might be a bit of a drag to most, but to Judy it was salvation. Grey, heavy clouds laden with the threat of rain were still absolutely not the poorly installed flickering fluorescent lights of the records department. She was free. She had not made Nick switch the seating in their cruiser, so he was getting to drive for a change and that left Judy looking out at the passing traffic. She didn't know what the best part actually was. Getting out of the station was nice, sure, but she was back with her partner.

The doe had originally worried that everything would be different with the personal changes that had occurred between them. They had not actually been patrolling together since Nick had vowed up to her months ago. In reality, on patrol, things quickly slipped into normalcy. The only real difference was that Judy actively restrained herself from the normal acts of affection she had readily participated in for the previous months. She wanted to touch him. She wanted to gather up his tail and stroke it. She wanted to push in close to him. It was now that she was supposed to resist it that she realized how often she did it. Surely it had to annoy him, how clingy she'd been. He never complained though. He was a good mate.

"You've been kind of quiet," Judy said, gazing at her fox. "What's on your mind, Slick?"

"Our coming assignment. You know it won't be easy. You have to know that."

"I saw you flinch in the bullpen when Tora said it." The doe was concerned about it then, but Nick had seemed pretty normal after that. It had likely been because it was so good to be back on patrol.

"I think she researched the coin," the fox said. "She seems the type."

"Wait, what?" Judy replied, "You mean you think this it some kind of reprisal?"

"No, not a reprisal," Nick stated, "That would be unprofessional. I don't get that vibe from her. This is more… a warning. She can, completely inside the rules, make things harder for us."

"So, the getting is off?" Judy asked, a sliver of hope in her voice.

"No. It's gotten worse." Nick said with a stern expression.

"So you know, any officer could have been assigned like we did. It might just be coincidence." She really did not want Nick getting in trouble with whatever he was planning. Still, he'd assured Judy they would not. She wanted to trust him. It was deeply important to Judy that Nick _knew_ that she trusted him completely. She had not honestly pushed her mate to drop the getting.

"Were it any other officer, any other time, I might think that," her mate responded calmly. "She's assigned us to patrol Happytown, starting tomorrow. And she smiled during that assignment. I am not sure you notice that stuff as often, but I'm a former confidence mammal. That was the only time she smiled during that whole briefing." Judy's ears fell back slowly. Okay, that was harder to refute.

"It won't be so different from our usual patrols. Crime's a bit higher there, but we can handle it." The bunny crossed her arms. They could handle this.

"Oh, I know we can. For everything that Happytown promises to be, it's certainly not the lawlessness and danger of The Interior, or fighting Bellwether's goons without backup. But it stands to reason that Tora does _not_ think we are up to the task. Maybe this is her way of testing us too. Who knows? But I won't lie… I am irritated by it. It's out of precinct."

"We've been sent out of precinct before." Judy informed.

"For Fluff Assignments, yes. Not on patrol."

"She said additional presence was required," Judy played Devil's Advocate. "They sent Grizzoli clear out to Fenrir on assignment for the same reason back last Spring. But… I do agree. The timing and her smile seem… to at least suggest something was up."

"Well, not looking forward to it."

"Because you lived there when you were a kit?" she asked.

Nick sighed. "Because so many mammals there are just… broken. You want to help Zootopia, and that's the place you are going to find the most mammals who just… stopped wanting help. It's not much different for me, but you, Fluff… It's gonna be a lot harder for you." Judy straightened a bit in her seat and gazed at her fox. His eyes were on the road, but he seemed pained. That was what this was about? She remembered that he seemed pained, almost a year ago when she had found out about what he thought had happened to his mother. He was upset, not just because of what he felt had occurred, but because it was a hurt she couldn't heal. He was very sensitive to her need to help. It only endeared her to him more in that moment.

"We will be fine, Nick. And assignments aren't permanent. We will swallow this pill and move on."

"I know, Carrots. But I don't have to like it."

The radio crackled. "Dispatch to Baker 914, Baker 914 please copy…"

Judy picked up the radio. It was overly large in her paw. "Dispatch, this is Baker 914, we copy."

The radio crackled again, Clawhauser's voice pushing through static. It was good to hear him on this side of the radio again. "Baker 914, 10-23 The Gilded Meadow restaurant on Hill Boulevard and Otterdam for a disturbance call." Judy did not flip on the siren since they were not requested to run Code 3. That meant that the disturbance was likely an argument, not a fight.

The ride there was quick. They were located very close by, which was why they got the call. The Gilded Meadow was a semi-fancy diner-type establishment that catered to pretty much everybody. They had the absolute finest salads and wraps that side of town, and Nick always enjoyed their bread sticks. He claimed that they somehow managed to make them the exact depth of his muzzle which made them perfect. They buttered them with a sprinkle of garlic salt and herbs. They had a picture of them on the sign over the door, as it was the focus of social media attention about the restaurant too.

"Oh good, someone called." Judy's sensitive ears picked up conversation from one of a couple of zebras outside. Judy hopped out.

"Woah, sending out the enforcers for this one!" the other zebra gasped. Judy honestly wasn't sure if they were making a wise-crack about her size and effectiveness, or if he was referring more to her unfounded reputation as given by the media. She was still dealing with the residual effects of the news coverage about her rescue of her partner, and her still-mysterious involvement with blowing the gates off of what was now being called the 'Lanolin Massacre'.

The pair of officers ignored the zebra and headed inside, where they could already hear shouting. Judy cringed heavily as she instantly recognized the voice.

"Oh no. No, not these two…" Nick looked at her with concern, and then slammed his ears back tight at the loud yelling.

"No, you caused this and now we can't come back! Why can't you shut your mouth?!" The officers made it through the entryway and into the restaurant proper. A bunch of miserable mammals sat in their chairs trying to enjoy their food over the din of argument. The familiar kudu and oryx were at the center of attention.

"Oh thank goodness," a wallaby said over her hardly touched salad, looking plaintively to the officers.

"Bucky, Pronk, outside with us. Now." Judy's stern tone was downright motherly. She couldn't help it. She knew these two and this was embarrassing. The two ungulates stared with huge, round eyes at her.

Pronk groaned miserably. "Now look what you did!"

"Me?!" Bucky shouted.

"Out. Now." Judy growled. The pair began to file out behind Nick.

"This is all your fault!" Bucky whined.

"They haven't paid yet!" cried a portly raccoon in a vest and slacks - most likely the manager.

Nick pointed out, "You can wait out their bickering to make them pay, but you'll end up having to comp a bunch more meals from the folks forced to listen to it." There was a roar of applause in the restaurant to show support for what Nick was saying. The manager shrunk back, gritting his teeth fearfully. He certainly didn't want that. The officers could have the pair of loud ruminates. Mammals loved logical conclusions, Judy had found. Someone arriving and talking sense when the situation had been all nonsense was a celebrated event in Zootopia.

They finally got outside and the two hoofed mammals leaned against the building with unhappy expressions.

"Are we under arrest?" asked Pronk.

"Not yet, but we were called to a disturbance," answered Judy. "We have removed you from that location intent on keeping the peace. I trust the argument can wait until you get home?" This was not new to them, nor was it ever a matter of violence. She knew that. They were just loud. Judy had never considered that they might be the same pretty much everywhere they went.

"We can't go home, little bunny," Bucky said dolefully. "Pronk's sister threw us out."

"For being loud?" asked Nick.

"Yes!" shouted Pronk loudly.

"She works nights." Bucky explained.

The bunny sighed heavily. "Yeah, I can see that being a problem. The apartment's not renovated yet?"

"It ain't gonna be!" Pronk yelled.

"Set to be demolished." his companion grumbled. "Even be banks didn't want that eyesore." Judy cringed obviously.

Pronk crossed his arms. "Still living with the fox, I take it?" he asked.

"That's now a permanent arrangement." Judy explained, looking at her partner.

"What, didja get married?"

"Rude!" yelled Bucky. "Oh…" The follow up from him was based on the fact that Nick was practically gushing smug.

"Wait, really?" asked Pronk. "Seriously?"

Bucky chimed in. "The actor and now them. Soon, no one's gonna give two swatted flies about us." he laughed.

"No one already does. Because you're too _loud!_ " yelled Pronk.

"Let's pull focus back where it needs to be," Nick suggested. "You can't get into these loud arguments in crowded places. At the least, you irritate the mammals around you, and at worst, you two could probably cause physical damage to a fennec."

"Sorry," groaned Bucky.

"Yeah, sorry," Pronk offered.

Nick took out his ticket book. There was a fearful squeak from Bucky.

"I said sorry!" he whimpered.

The fox shook his head and started writing. "Without arguing, and making as little sound as you can, one of you will wait outside, the other will go inside and pay your bill. Then, I want the one standing outside to call this number. Let them know you are one of the mammals who lost their home to that apartment being condemned. They started a program to help mammals displaced by that because there were so many with no where to go."

"Really? That… That's really helpful…" murmured Bucky, sounding as if he were near tears. Judy was not used to hearing him show any emotion but anger and frustration.

"I will go pay," replied his mate dutifully.

"Thank you." Judy wondered if they fought like that when there was a lot of stress, and if they had just always been under stress in the apartment.

Nick seemed to feel the same way, as he spoke up. "Have you two considered maybe taking breaks and doing a day spa together or something so you could spend time outside of your worries and troubles? It's hard on mammals to deal with it all the time."

"We had a thing each week at the MSO, actually. Do you know what that is?" asked Bucky as his mate disappeared through the doors.

"We know." Nick stated with a grin. Judy looked away, hoping her ears weren't red.

"He had to stop going when the Nighthowler thing was going on. It was packed. Mammals were literally hiding out there like it was some kind of paradise quarantine." Judy put her fingertips to her muzzle. She had not realized that had happened, but it made sense. That place was practically a fortress. There was a high wall all the way around it.

"I suggest you make a point of going back there, then," Nick stated. "It would be good for you both. You need some down time where no one's worried about stress."

"I don't mean to be ungrateful," the larger mammal murmured, "but why does any of that matter to you? We're out of the building, not yelling, and you've kept the peace. And we might have been Judy's neighbors, but we were not exactly great to her."

"It's part of the long game. You don't have to understand. Just try to find some happiness in this city. I can't give it to you, I just promise to you that it's there."

"I…" stammered Bucky, "Thank you." He then took his cell phone from his pocket and started dialing the number Nick had given him.

Judy got back into the car with her partner. He smiled at her.

"Well done!" she practically purred. "It's so good to be with you again, on the streets, making Zootopia a better place."

"One broken mammal at a time. Let's do this." Nick happily fist-bumped his partner and wife.

There was a beep on Judy's phone. She took it out as Nick radioed in their status.

Her breath caught. It was enough to make a squeak that Nick could hear.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"It's an email from Sharla." Judy answered. The doe had emailed her friend three times trying to check up on her after Nick's mother had sent her to New Reynard. She feared something might have happened to her, but Honey wasn't answering emails, and when Annie checked on her, the manager of the diner said Honey was not at the bed and breakfast. A few days of worry, and now there was an email.

"Open it…" Nick suggested.

"Okay. Sorry." She poked the line on her email list.

"Well?" Nick asked. Judy looked with concern at the very short note.

"It says 'I'm fine. I don't need you.'" Nick cringed at that.

"Well… I mean, it's good that she's fine, but that seems unduly harsh," he expressed.

"Yeah, but at least nothing terrible happened to her. She's safe. Like you said… she'll probably get over it eventually. No need being miffed about it now. We've got a city full of other mammals to help."

The radio crackled in return. "Baker 914, we have a 10-57 from Misty Acres Retirement Village. Please 10-23." Judy responded in the affirmative and nodded to her partner.

Make Zootopia a better place. One mammal at a time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

 _I hope to continue at least once update per week, but my schedule is still a mess because I have to supplement my income with commissions and the like. I am still not financially sound despite having three part time jobs now. X.x I'm trying._

 ** _If you are just joining Guardian Blue for the first time,_** _you will want to check out Season 1 and 2 first, and I would highly recommend Thanks for the Fox even before that as well so everything makes sense. ^^_

 _I do not own Disney, Zootopia, a nice car, or a flat head screwdriver, and yet I still manage._

 _Also! A HUGE shout-out to J. N. Squire for assisting with editing for Season 3. This series would be a lot harder to do alone, I promise._

 **Guardian Blue: Season Three**

 _Episode 2: Patrolling_

"Baker 914 to dispatch, the address you gave us is in Little Rodentia. Please 10-9 that 20 with less wrong 20." There was some irritation in Nick's voice. Judy could understand. That morning, they had just dealt with a skunk who was reported to have been trespassing in an art museum. They arrived on scene and found him laying catatonic on the floor of the lobby. Shortly before the pair's arrival, the mammal had simply gone unresponsive. Nick called for an ambulance but during the wait, the poor mammal had a seizure from whatever combination of prescription medication and recreational substances they contained.

Everything and everyone in that entire lobby got sprayed. No aim, just a fail-arc of olfactory devastation. Judy ducked, Nick took it square in the face. Everyone needed the musk-booth. Skunks were known to occasionally let a cop have it, despite that being its own separate charge, so there was a special, wholly unpleasant shower that was used to allow an officer to scrub out the scent, and then basically get pressure-washed.

Neither of them enjoyed it, but Nick was unhappier by far. Ever since the Darmaw incident, he showed a very low tolerance to being 'not clean', and being sprayed to the level he had been felt as 'not clean' as he could get in that moment. He had just stopped grumbling about the lack of communication on the condition of the mephit trespasser, and now an apparent error in dispatch was not cheering him up. They were stopped outside the main gate to Little Rodentia, and waited for correction or clarification.

A minute or so passed, and Clawhauser's voice cut back in.

"Baker 914, that address is verified, I'm sending a Foalkien." Judy groaned along with Nick. Foalkien wasn't a person. It meant that the explanation of what was going on was too complicated to efficiently say over the radio. Foalkien was an equine writer known for writing out painstakingly every little detail. Nick pulled up the console in their car and waited a moment. Finally, the description came through. Judy read it to herself, knowing Nick was doing the same at about the same speed.

"You have _got_ to be kidding," her partner grumbled. Judy put a paw over her muzzle. Several lemmings, possibly as many as four, were in a traffic circle and had managed to get into a 'follow-loop'. One was following the second, the second was following the third, the third the fourth, and the fourth was following the first. Around and around and around, transfixed by the vehicle ahead of them. The result was that no one else could get into the traffic circle and it had gridlocked Little Rodentia so bad that traffic was beginning to back up onto larger streets. This created a real safety hazard for the smaller mammals involved.

"I hadn't considered that could happen, but it kind of makes sense…" Judy noted casually.

"The LR precinct can't handle this?" Nick asked. Little Rodentia of course had their own police force which specialized in dealing with matters on their side of the fence. It was just far safer than having a larger officer come in any time something went wrong. On occasion it was necessary to get help from outside, but not usually. The mice and rats on their police force usually had things buttoned down so well that the rodent criminal element actually operated in other parts of the city.

Judy answered her weary partner's question. "I would imagine their police force is stuck in the traffic as well. They can't get a car over there to stop those cars."

Nick picked up the radio. "Dispatch this is Baker 914, are you giving the all clear to Kaiju?"

"Stop calling it that!" Judy snapped. Mammals had scanners to listen to those conversations. They needed to be as professional as possible.

"You are go to Kaiju, 914," crackled the cheetah's reply. The bunny groaned. Nick grinned. He had made this an in joke in the department, and it was maddening. Mammals had, in the past, broken into Little Rodentia and done serious damage to life and property. It was not a laughing matter!

"Wait, slow down. We have to do this carefully, you remember last time!" Judy hissed at her swift partner.

Nick laughed and rolled his verdant eyes. "You were the one who fell onto the muddy abandoned construction site, then in your panic to look for 'survivors', backed into that billboard and left a perfect bunny butt-print on it. Wasn't meeeee."

"Will you let that go?! That was like… a lifetime ago." It had happened when Nick was almost fresh out of the academy. She followed the fox as he punched in the code to open the main gate so that they could safely get in. The opening of the gate also turned on a bunch of blue lights through the city to inform the mice, rats and other small mammals that an authorized larger mammal had entered their part of the city, and to exercise caution about that. Failure to do this had nearly gotten Judy canned on her second day on the job.

"No roaring at the school, Nick," Judy muttered softly. They didn't have to be terribly quiet, but Judy always felt like she would sound really loud to the smaller mammals here.

"They expect it. You know that right? Wolfard does it every single time. They cheer for him. Judy, they all actually cheer. They love it."

"Nick, that interrupts their school day and makes things harder for their teacher. It's common courtesy. Come on." She stepped carefully, taking what she felt was a long time to move short distances where there were clearings in traffic on the preferred side street she was travelling between the shorter shops and strip malls.

"Oh man, look at that tiny traffic jam." Nick motioned ahead as he took another careful step. Mice slowed where the larger mammals were to help them safely move through the city. There was no panic when there had been warning that larger mammals would be there.

"Let's just get over there so we can go back to work," Judy sighed. Her motions were painstakingly careful. After getting her tail chewed for her first blunder here, she was as mindful as she could be to interrupt these smaller mammals lives as little as possible.

"Rahr… Rahr…" Nick whispered little roars as he tip-toed through the city. Judy wanted to scold him for it, but she could only smile. Little things like that were a large part of what attracted her to him. The mundane parts of their job where they just had to correct little things turned into fun memories for them because Nick wasn't so serious unless he really needed to be.

While they moved, to them, slowly through the tiny part of the city, their strides were so long that it was faster than most of the tiny mammals on these streets could drive. Getting to the area where the traffic jam was turned into a bit more of an exercise in balancing, and a couple of times Judy or Nick needed to hold on to the edge of a building to manage it.

"No breaky, no breaky, no breaky…" the fox chanted as he moved along. Fortunately, nothing broke. They finally got to the traffic circle. As advertised, around and around and around the little identical blue cars went, and they were going fast enough it wasn't safe for the trucks that were stuck waiting for them to enter the traffic circle. That might not be a problem if the little cars ever left, but they did not.

So, what do we do here?" inquired Nick.

"Maybe… just pick one of them up?" Judy replied with uncertainty. The towering vulpine poised himself over the cars. A lot of them in the traffic jam were honking, and their horns sounded like a kit's squeaker toy. "Try not to damage it. That would save us serious paperwork." Nick sucked in a deep breath. He might have suggested Judy do it instead, but that would have been riskier. Nick was taller, had larger paws, and it just made more sense.

Deftly, elegantly, Nick snatched up the little car. He did so in a way that lifted it up out of the circle while maintaining its forward motion like a little plane taking off, and he swung it close to him so that as little force was exerted on the little vehicle as possible.

"Well done, me," Nick congratulated himself. He peered at the petrified, confused driver in the car. "I'm helping. Don't mind me," he informed, pointed to his badge. No need for the little mammal to be afraid. He was obviously a bit dazed. Looped lemmings were out of it at the point they needed intervention, so that was no surprise.

Judy could tell the little mammals still in the traffic circle freaked out a bit at one of the cars being picked up, but the sudden gap in the line of cars made it so the next one took an exit out of the circle and the others followed. The cycle was broken. There was a lot of squeaky honking from happy rodents. Nick placed the remaining car back in the traffic circle. It made a careful full loop and drove away. Nick waved and traffic began to flow. This actually made the walk away from that traffic circle a little more difficult, and the pair took a slightly different route.

After a dozen or so yards, Nick began laughing loudly and inexplicably. Judy nudged him, giving a flourish to prompt him to tell her what that was about, and the fox pointed at a billboard several blocks away.

It still had the inverted U of Judy's backside pressed in black mud upon it. They hadn't bothered to clean it! Judy's posterior had been effectively advertised on the pawn-shop side of town for a whole year?! Oh, that was just unacceptable! Nick actually had to stop because he couldn't keep tiptoeing through the city. He was laughing too hard. This commotion caught the attention of a few rodents but their point of view didn't let them see the billboard, so they had no idea what it was about. They mostly went about their business to give the officers more space to allow them to exit their part of Zootopia so everyone could go off of alert.

Whatever. At least her fox was being cheerful again.

The end of their day was a welcome thing to the fox and bunny. It had been a long one, and the cases were just weird. Most of what their job entailed was filing accident reports, dealing with petty crime, and handling safety issues. Today had been entirely different.

The skunk issue was a bit off, but the traffic circle thing was just odd. After that, they dealt with a missing mammal report that ended up being a little beaver girl's _imaginary friend_ , but there was actually a _crime_ that had been committed that was linked to that. The name that the parents of the girl provided was the same that had been making purchases fraudulently all over the city. The seven-year-old girl had no idea, of course, and was clearly not involved, but because Nick and Judy's involvement meant they were looking for the person, Nick discovered that the big sister of one of the girl's school mates had heard and adopted the seemingly random name. They had to arrest an 18 year old otter who had been babysitting the beaver for credit fraud.

The crime had been solved, but fell into the same category as bizarre with other calls for the day. This was the topic as they took the bus home.

"It's Tora. It has to be," Nick grumbled as he held a bar to remain standing as his bunny occupied one of the only open seats. "I'm sure weird cases pop up now and again for any officer, but I bet she's told Clawhauser to send all of them to us. She's messing with me."

"Why would she do that, Nick?" Judy asked, a little distressed that he was being paranoid. That was never a good direction for an officer to go.

"She looked up the coin. I dunno. She knows I am gonna try to get her, and she's gonna say she got me first. Foxes do that. Preemptive gettings."

"She's busy all day, Nick. I would think she has better things to do with her time," Judy stated. "She's not made any obvious attempt to just put us on parking duty or anything like that." Honestly, the bunny's interaction with Tora, while terse, had been pretty positive. She treated Judy more like a cop than Bogo did at first. Nick wasn't party to that one-sided disaster.

"An imaginary friend case? Really Judy?" Nick arched a brow.

"Well, the lemming thing was _not_ a weird case… at least in terms of who should have dealt with it. We are literally the best mammals on the force to deal with something like that." They were the smallest and a go-to pair for dealing with an issue in Little Rodentia, despite the bunny's early slip-up there.

"I'm not saying it's an absolute, I just want you to pay attention to patterns is all. We might be getting a bit of blow-back from the intended getting."

"You know what, Nick? We'd deserve it. So far, that tiger's done fine in keeping things together for our department. She's not doing bad. She made a poor call, maybe, on how to deal with us on day one, but she's not made our jobs any harder since. It could have been ugly, and it's really not been."

"The getting is still happening," her fox stated as they reached their stop.

"... And I won't challenge that, even now… but I _will_ say that our weird run of cases has nothing to do with Tora," Judy announced as she hopped off the bottom step and began the two block walk to their apartment. There was still a bit of chill in the air.

"You almost sound as if you like Mayumi," Nick scoffed.

"I can respect her position is all… and don't assume that since I respect her that I've ignored the fact that she insists on calling me Officer Hopps in the morning briefings."

"Yeah. Did you see Francine twitch at it this morning? It's even getting to her, and she hates me!"

"Francine doesn't hate you, Nick. She's not even still mad about the squeak prank."

"It wasn't even for her! It was aimed at Higgins!" Nick flailed a bit as he caught up. The one they were talking about happened after Nick had been on the force for only a month or so. It was one of two that were considered 'a miss' by the precinct, and was the prank responsible for the still-current rule that the first officer who laughed at a fox-prank ended up with parking duty.

"You were talking to Francine, though, not Higgins! Of course she thought it was directed at her." He'd told her they had a guest speaker from the Micro College in Little Rodentia. Then, like… a minute later Higgins stepped on a squeaker the fox planted under the rug by the podium. It didn't matter if it was supposed to be for Higgins at that point.

"I bought everyone lunch to apologize, I didn't realize how terrified Francine was of that specific scenario. You know I wouldn't have…" Nick sounded less defensive and more crestfallen at that. There was a reason he just assumed that the elephant hated him now. He'd made amends and everyone was fine with it, but he had earned his bit of uneasiness around the pachyderm. "Anyway… even she doesn't think it's cute anymore."

"And she may just be doing it because it's harder to give out assignments when there's two officers with the same name." Judy had to admit that it sounded like she was defending the tigress. That really wasn't the case.

"Are you able to say anything negative about her at this point?" The tone was strangely accusatory. Judy stiffened up. Nick was feeling isolated.

"Of course, Nick. While she might not be directly doing anything to us, I can't possibly ignore the one thing she hasn't done to us."

"That is?" he pondered as they walked up the steps to their apartment building.

"She hasn't given a single word of encouragement, support, or recognition for anything we've done in the whole time we've been back, active or administrative." Nick put his ears back. Had he not even noticed that? Judy felt a hollowness in her stomach. Oh, right. Fox. "Heck, this morning she congratulated 'Team Delgato' for an 88 percent case-resolution for last week. You know what ours was for the end of our very first week back on active patrol?"

"Higher?" Nick guessed. He didn't pay attention to the metrics and numbers. He never did. He felt they were distracting. Every case deserved all they could do to solve it, and the numbers just didn't matter.

"94 percent, Nick. We had the fewest cases outstanding. And you know that's not really far above our general average. We do good work and she … seems unwilling to recognize it in front of anyone."

"Hey." The voice caught Judy off guard as they walked into the lobby of their apartment. She glanced downward because of the familiar deepness of it.

Finnick stood before them with a tiny backpack over his shoulder.

"Hey, big guy!" Nick barked. "Goin' camping?"

The fennec rolled his eyes at the 'big guy' nickname. He answered gruffly, "Heating coil in the van snapped," he informed. "Gotta wait till pay-day next week to order the replacement. She's gettin' old, Nick. Parts are hard to find and stupid-expensive." Judy cringed at that. Even in the warmer sections of the city it was pretty cold this time of year, and a fennec was _not_ made for the cold.

"Oh? Where you heading?" Judy pried.

"You shoulda texted me," Nick expressed in an even tone. "I'd have swung by earlier to let you in so you weren't just hanging around in the lobby here." The bunny dropped her ears back, little paw moving to her muzzle. Wait. They had to discuss things like this. Finnick and Nick got onto the elevator.

"Where's he supposed to stay, Nick? It's a one bed-room apartment.

"We'll consolidate the cookware into one cabinet instead of two," Nick answered.

"You are not gonna Hairy Otter me, Nick! I know all your embarrassing drunk stories."

"Right. In bed with us then," her mate corrected. Judy nearly tripped getting onto the elevator.

"No!" she protested with a bit of a squeak. Finnick burst out laughing as the elevator doors closed.

"Calm down, Bunnycop," the smallest of their immediate friends comforted with a grin. "Imma be on the couch. And I won't even be there all the time, I got evenin's at the radio station. I'll get my sleep when ya'll are out makin' stories for Shaky to report on. Though, y' stuck with me for tonight, I'm off!" he laughed. Judy nodded slowly. Okay, so that would not be the huge interruption of their lives that she initially thought it would. The bunny had been so eager to have things get mostly back to normal and the last thing she wanted was another issue to come up and derail their lives.

"Just… Can we talk about these things and not have you just show up with a backpack?" she bargained, more to excuse her initial reaction. She didn't want Finnick to think she didn't like him, even if he could be pretty rude and foul with a bit of drink in him.

"Nope. Standin' offer. Fox promise," the little fennec informed.

"Oh, really?" she asked, glaring at Nick. "Any other fox promises I should know about?"

"Nothin' big," Nick hastily answered, giving that panicked sort of grin that told Judy she might need to be on her toes.

"Yeah, he nullified the one he made to Frost when he vowed up to you," the littlest fox stated as he got off the elevator.

"Uh... what?" the doe bluntly responded.

"That wasn't a real promise, and you know it," Nick grumbled to his little friend. He got off with Judy darting quickly behind.

"What promise?!" the doe snapped. There was no way that her mate had been in a relationship with the other fox, they hated each other when she met Skye!

Nick sighed. "Carrots, it was verbal banter. She asked me when I'd find a good vixen to keep me in line so I would stop making foxes look bad, and I promised her that if there were no other vixens left in Zootopia it could be her. I was provoking her the way I always did."

"Naw man, you said fox-promise," Finnick pushed. Judy cocked an eyebrow. Was he trying to get Nick in trouble?

"I contained a dangerous amount of cider. Fin, I was on my back when I said that because you were literally dragging me by my tail through the lobby to the elevator." Judy had to actually stifle a laugh at that image as it seared itself into her mind. They arrived at the apartment and Nick let everyone in.

"See? Mi casa, es su casa." He gestured flamboyantly to the whole simple, charming abode of the fox and bunny.

"What was the original promise, so I know?" Judy requested, still a little unnerved by that unexpected bit of her husband's history.

"Either of us fall on hard times, they can count on the other," Nick explained.

"That doesn't sound like the kind of promise the fox you used to be would easily make," Judy pointed out with a level of seriousness in her voice.

Nick put his bag down and got a soda from the fridge, as well as a cider for Finnick. The bunny's mate looked a little sad for a moment, not locking eyes with her. "Yeah, well… He helped me through a really rough patch where I didn't really care about much and I was doing a bunch of dumb things that coulda… made it so we never met."

"I kept yo ass out of the ice-pond is what I did," snapped the little fennec. Judy felt a wave of bitter cold slip through her. Something Vivienne had told her came back fresh in her mind. Nick was so lost at one point that he recklessly provoked a dangerous crime boss. He didn't care. He absolutely didn't care if anything happened to him at that point. He was basically off the rails and careening toward oblivion back then.

The self-loathing, shamed, unhappy fox had no one back then to stop him from doing what he was doing. Nick's mother couldn't be there for him back then. He wouldn't let her close to him. The little mammal now in their apartment was the one who stood by him during that. Judy stared at the little fox as he sipped his cider, feeling suddenly very different about him. Nick made light of their friendship because Finnick insisted on his tough-guy image, but he had been Nick's friend when no one else in the city seemed to care about him.

Okay, that promise, and her understanding of the arrangement, were both deserved. She would drop any reservation she had about it. If the little fox needed a place, this would always be it. Nick was not aware that Judy had been told how bad it was, and she didn't feel like bringing it up then. She would let it go.

"Movie night then?" Nick offered.

"No pizza," Finnick deadpanned.

"Noodles?" the bunny attempted. She understood the smaller mammal's immediate response. Nick liked to order pizza for movie night and Fin just wanted anything but that.

The tiny tan fox grinned. "Hell yeah!"

The selected fare for movie night was an action flick about a kung-fu trained tiger who was supposed to be taking care of some cubs but kept getting inexplicably attacked by mammals from their past. It was cheeky and silly, but Finnick was clearly content with it. He liked cheesy 80's movies.

It was not really unlike a lot of their evenings before a day off, but the next day was a work day, so ultimately Nick confessed it was time for bed, and headed to the shower to get cleaned up. That left Judy waiting on her shower. She didn't mind taking it with Nick, but the fox had to move around quite a bit in the small shower to clean his tail and the like, and the small bunny almost always got bonked on the nose or unintentionally mashed into the wall, and it was honestly just easier in general to shower separately.

As she heard the hiss of the shower, she gazed at their small temporary roommate. He finished off his cider happily, and was quite happy to be in a heated apartment, not worried about his head-sails freezing and snapping off in the night, as he had vividly described.

"Thanks, Finnick…" Judy finally murmured. Through the whole movie she had been feeling heavily reflective.

"Fo' what?" he asked, huge ears attentive.

"Helping Nick. Back before I met him," she replied.

"He was my work partner. Didn't feel like replacin' him. We had a good gimmick goin'." Judy let her ears slowly fall back. He was deflecting. Nick did that a lot too, early on.

"What did you do to keep him from getting killed for the skunk butt rug thing?" the bunny whispered. That was the thing she latched on to. Nick could have been killed. She didn't know why he wasn't. Vivienne made it clear he should have. Something interfered and with Nick having given a very uncharacteristic promise in his past, she suddenly suspected she knew what had happened. She just wanted to know.

"What makes you think that was me, bunny?" asked the smaller mammal.

"I know what it would have taken for the old Nick to make that kind of promise to someone. Don't try to deny this Finnick. I need to know what happened. The real story."

"No, ya don't. That wasn't a good look for Nick. Not then. It was bad. You don't know how bad."

"He… wanted it all to end," Judy delivered with a weight in her heart and on her voice.

"Ooookay… So you know how bad then," Finnick stared at her a moment, then back to the bathroom. He was, most likely, judging how long he had to talk about it. Nick took forever to groom his wonderful tail. He had time.

"Please," Judy pressed.

"Okay… so… look bunny..." The little mammal pulled his ears back nervously. "I ain't supposed to talk about this, right? It was like.. five years ago, maybe four… Don't matter. He got the Internet finally, and was looking up funny things, new jokes to tell people. Maybe you don't know, but he uses humor to distract mammals… take them off their guard."

"I know," Judy admitted.

"Well, he found some pretty vile crap on there. '25 Foxes Who Had It Comin'' or somthin' like that. Bunch o' crap about completely worthless foxes gettin' run over, flattened, gibbed, burned… There was even a Flash game where you had to try to pull a muzzle onto a little cartoony fox who was bouncin' around all over the place, just plain freakin' out. That whole site got taken down in like… days… But not before it put Nick in a serious funk. Like… he gave me his laptop and told me to do whatever I wanted with it." Judy felt ill. Of course that bothered Nick. That was terrible.

"The Internet… is an easy place to be awful. I wish Nick would not have let that get to him. He didn't need to. Some mammals just… Yuk…" She shook her head. Poor fox.

"Hey, it wuzzn't just foxes, it was just all kinds of hate there. Sheer a sheep with throwing knives, cow tippin', send explodin' fish after otters… the whole site was just dedicated to cruel games like it was dark-funny or some shit." Judy did not want to give an inch to the notion that such a thing was supposed to be funny.

"Not amusing," she clarified.

"Yeah, well, Nick got into funks sometimes, but it was like he suddenly used that crappy website as his full on measuring stick for society. And he just went off the damned chart. He took big risks because he figured existence was completely meaningless. It was all a slow burn until the end and he would just have whatever comforts he could. I knew he was makin' mistakes but I didn't know how bad till a couple'a bears showed up and freaking tipped my van over.

"Kevin and Raymond?" qualified Judy.

"And two others. It was serious," Finnick replied. "I don't know that Nick ever told you the rules to hustlin', but there's two really big ones. You don't make friends, and you don't make enemies. And Nick made a really dangerous enemy doin' somethin' he knew wouldn't work. His plan? Take the money and leave. He was gonna go live in Fenrir or something.

But they couldn't get him, so they went after the only mammal they thought was his friend. I messed up. I coulda just said I didn't know him outside of our hustles but I said I wasn't tellin' them anything. They dragged me out to Tundra Town and used me as bait to get Nick out there."

"And Nick came?" asked the doe.

"Yeah, he did. I thought it was because he didn't wanna see me hurt, you know? But it wasn't like that. Not to him. Yeah, he wanted them to let me go, but he just didn't care, at that point. He was toxic. Time to go, he told everyone." Judy swallowed hard. She understood, from her discussion with Vivienne, that he was like that back then, but to hear how close it came was painful.

Judy held her breath a moment, then whispered, "How in the world did he get out of that?"

"I realized as they moved the cover off the floor and Nick just looked at it like it was an empty freakin' beer that he wuzzn't gonna fight it. And I had enough. I broke my own rule about not makin' friends. He mighta been a goof and a nut sometimes, but he was the only mammal who ain't once done me wrong. I knew what he was goin' through. I watched what he was doin' and I wanted to stay out of it. I let it get that far and I had to stop it. I told Big I wanted to make a deal. I explained that Nick wasn't… healthy right then. I needed to get Nick straight in the head. Big said he'd let my buddy go if I worked for him and his goons for a year."

"As a police officer, knowing that the statute of limitations has probably not worn off, I would like to encourage you not to share about that part," Judy murmured softly.

"You watch too much TV, Bunnycop," Finnick stated. "I did legitimate work. But it was hard and I didn't get paid, and I still needed to hustle with Nick to make a livin' on top of that, so that whole year sucked. But seein' me do that brought him out of his funk. He used _that_ to measure the city instead, he said. But, my van got impounded one time cause it was parked illegally, and I didn't have the cash to get it. That's when Nick made the promise. And he's always kept it."

"Now can I thank you?" Judy asked. She had never really heard Finnick be so candid aside from when he was drunk and promised to go legit after Nick was lost under the city. She was glad to have gotten to really talk to him.

"Yeah, whatever," the fennec dismissed and then grunted as he got scooped up by the bunny and hugged.

"Thank you, Finnick," Judy whispered, putting him back down.

"Kin I thank _you_ , now?" the little fox queried. For some reason that kicked Judy's heart right up into her throat. She slowly nodded, fighting not to blink just to keep her wide bunny eyes dry.

"S-sure," she whispered.

"I can't even describe what you've done for Nick. He's not the same fox he was, and you know… I ain't the same fox I was. I don't have lots, but I don't need more. I worked at the restaurant for a while, then a got a pretty sweet gig at the radio station, and they said they might even let me start doin' mornin' reports. I might actually end up _bein'_ someone in this crazy animal city," he chuckled. "If Nick could do it, why not me, y'know? You was helpin' Nick cause you love him, and you _know_ you help him, but maybe you don't always see what happens when other mammals see what you did. He ain't the only one you helped, and I promise I ain't the only mammal besides him that was watchin'. So thanks fo' that, Judy." The bunny's breath hitched. For as rare as it had been originally that Nick used her real name, Finnick used it even less. And he was really genuine in this heartfelt gratitude.

"I'm glad it helped. Nick.. you… I'm glad," the bunny sniffed.

"Oh, hey, don't do that. Nick comes out and you cryin' he'll drop me off the balcony!" the little fox laughed. Judy hugged him again.

"Tight… too tight!" he grunted.

"Take your hug gracefully, Fin!" Judy sputtered, half laughing, half crying.

"Why do bunnies keep pickin' me up!?"

"Oh, you didn't have a problem when my mom did it while you were pretending to be my son!" the doe laughed, getting her emotions under control.

"Yeah, well you as padded as a dime-store mannequin, bunny! Yo' ma's pure bunny-snuggle heaven! She pick me up and I never wanna be put down!" He grinned at her.

"Finnick!" shouted the bunny indignantly. "I'll take you to the balcony myself!"

There was laughter from the shower.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

 _I have been splitting my time between a great many things, but I am still finding time for this. I hope not to slow down, but there may be the occasional week that gets skipped. I do have a , not linked to my fanfiction work, that could allow me more time to write if it takes off, so here's hoping for that!._

 ** _If you are just joining Guardian Blue for the first time,_** _you will want to check out Season 1 and 2 first, and I would highly recommend Thanks for the Fox even before that as well so everything makes sense. ^^_

 _Zootopia and its residents are not aligned specifically with me. I am more dedicated to them. As such, somehow it turns out that while I do not legally represent Disney, no one else can buy or sell me either._

 _Also! A HUGE shout-out to J. N. Squire for assisting with editing for Season 3. Also, I would like to extend a special thank you to a few others who are helping me to keep this intense update schedule and keep the quality high even with my busy schedule. I will be doing something special to recognize them soon!_

 **Guardian Blue: Season Three**

 _Episode 3:_ _Lunch_

"So, how's it going with our vulpine coworker?" asked one Fangmeyer.

"And don't just say 'oh, alright'." said the other. The two tigers had lunch together frequently at the precinct. They caught Judy as Nick went to fill out requisition forms for supplies they needed for their cruiser. This left his partner more vulnerable to her curious coworkers in the cafeteria after their briefing for the day. The two smaller mammals were on the second shift rotation for that quarter, so they arrived when morning officers were taking their meal or preparing to leave, depending on shift length.

The scent of fish-burger hung on the air, and Judy tried to ignore that as Hector, the male of the pair, leaned in closer as well, tartar sauce on his breath.

"You've been tight-lipped… So, we've been patient. But, we gotta know… is it everything you imagined?" he asked.

"I have to figure there's quarrels…" Felicia Fangmeyer elaborated. "I mean, you two argue at work, so home must be the same."

"We don't argue at work," Judy protested. Did it really seem that way? They were just comfortable enough to know that one would not upset the other with a difference of opinion. She decided to throw something obvious for them to placate their curiosity. "Well, I have to keep him focused. And that's a good thing. And… sometimes he has to soften my approach to things. Our differences compliment one another. It's not really what I would call friction."

"Things are okay then? You're… happy?" asked Hector. "It was so sudden. Everyone was surprised."

Judy looked blankly at both tigers. They thought she… wasn't happy? They thought she was hiding not being happy? Why?

She took a slow, deep breath. How to explain? "Do I look unhappy?" she asked. This was something she needed to know.

It was hector who immediately answered. "What? No. I mean, not really but… you two are so different, right? I mean, not just species. Your personalities. Don't think we don't know who Nick was before you met him. He's been on the radar before. And you are all 'hard rules and responsibility'. It just… I mean… It seemed…"

"Like it couldn't possibly work?" Judy asked with a smile. It was alright for her friends to worry about them. They wouldn't be great friends if they didn't. Judy's happiness mattered. Nick's happiness mattered. They cared.

"Yeah," offered Felicia, sagging a bit. She didn't appear to like the connotation they had just made.

"It's okay, you guys. So… your question is mostly about whether I am happy now that I am Judy Wilde?" she asked.

"Right." answered the male of the pair. It was fair of them to ask.

The bunny pondered how best to explain it to her caring coworkers. No one had, so far, built up the courage to ask this closely about it. They kept their distance from the subject. That made sense if everyone was thinking it was a mistake.

Judy finally decided on a direction with which to approach it. "So… a fox swearing himself to me means I could do whatever I wanted with him," she explained. "Nick did this. And when I say anything, I mean that before I made any decision to marry him, Nick was willing to spend his entire life making me happy… even if I married someone else. I could have, if I wanted, lived my life like any other bunny. I could have raised a huge family, dedicated myself to another, and Nick would have pulled carrots out of the ground, taken care of my kits, all of it. He vowed himself to me without knowing if I would ever do the same for him. He chose, for his existence, to bring me happiness. Nothing else. Not a cop. Not a fox. Not his own life at all. My happiness. My joy. He's one hundred percent mine."

"Oh… goodness…" Felicia murmured, making it clear the depth of old fox traditions were not well known to her.

"However," the doe elaborated, "He'd not have given himself to someone he assumed would ever mistreat him. He trusted me with his… everything. It's not about what I gained when he vowed up… not to me. It's a much bigger deal that I remind him as often as I can that I know he trusts me completely, and I live up to that trust. I have to be honest with Nick. That means you will see us disagree. It's not abrasive. It's healthy. Nick mentioned it to me once, and it kinda stuck. So many friends and couples opt out of speaking up on little differences. It's because they don't want to disagree with their partner, and they end up going through life without their partner ever _really_ knowing them… not as well as they could."

Both tigers stared at her, transfixed. The bunny had thought a lot about how much Nick gave her, even in those first days. She had spoken with Viv a few times _after_ marrying her partner about what the vows he took, before she decided, had meant, and it was a really heavy burden to place on oneself for someone they loved. Nick selflessly did that. The bunny would never forget, and she felt her coworkers would benefit from knowing what her fox willingly sacrificed before she decided to take his last name too.

"I… I had no idea," responded Hector.

"What if you didn't want him?" asked his wife. Judy wilted a little. They were fixating on the wrong part. Still, Vivienne had said that sort of thing happened.

"He could never promise himself to another," the bunny responded. The two tiger officers glanced at one another and them both smiled, sitting just a little bit closer together.

"And to think, they say romance is dead," Felicia chuckled.

"Does he bite?" Hector asked.

"Hey!" his mate gasped.

"Oh yeah," Judy responded, nodding. She didn't mind that question. It felt like all of her sisters had already asked it.

"Was it scary at first?" The male tiger asked.

"Oh my God…" Felicia groaned, covering her face.

The bunny grinned. "You guys have seen video of the first time I felt his teeth. I have _never_ been afraid of them." The pair looked to one another, before both lighting up with realization.

"Man, this train's been on the rails the whole time, huh?" asked Hector.

"Feels like it," the doe replied.

"Officer Hopps?" The voice spoke up from behind her. She turned to see another tiger standing there.

"Oh! Afternoon, Chief Tora!" Judy chimed with a decidedly over-use of enthusiasm.

"May I eat with you, and chat a moment?" she asked. Judy tried to hide her surprise.

"Sure! Sure!" She scooted a little, but realized that wasn't needed. She was not sharing a large-mammal chair with Nick, after all. Tora sat across from her. The bunny remained standing in her chair while the other two tigers hastily departed. It left the bunny uncomfortable. Surely, if she was going to get her tuft chewed about something, it would be done in a more private locale.

Tora sat casually and took out a little tray from her blue zippable lunch bag. She opened it and revealed a meal Judy had seen on TV quite a few times but not up close. Sushi. The scent of fish was far more potent than the fried food that the Fangmeyers were enjoying. It was a little overpowering, but there were some nice scents with it. Pickles, rice, cucumber, tomato, and other things. The little tightly compacted balls of rice were also kind of pretty.

The tigress munched on them quietly a moment, and left the doe feeling rather awkward. The bunny decided that she should be the one to start a conversation. Tora would not have asked to sit with her if she didn't want to discuss something.

"So… Do you make your own lunch, or is this from a shop?" she asked. It was the only thing she could think of to say.

"It's from a shop," answered her stand-in chief in a friendly tone.

The bunny felt awkward talking about the Chief's lunch, but she understood that Tora respected cultural curiosity, so she pressed on. "I've not seen sushi up close before. When you hear mammals talk about it, you expect it to be… this simple thing with fish… but it looks as complicated as baking, honestly. There's more to it." She wanted to make it clear that she was not offended by the meal. Some bunnies might be.

"It's not like the sushi where I am from," stated the tigress in a casual tone. "They try to make it taste like so many other things here. It really _should_ be more simple. There's no reason it can't be. I like it like those on this side… a little fish on a fluffy cloud of rice, maybe with a tart little pickle. It needs nothing else." She nodded.

"It seems like it's pretty tasty just like I see it there. It has lots of things I enjoy." She indicated the one that had slivers of cucumber and little cubes of tomato. "Maybe they make it more complicated to attract a wider variety of mammals to try them?"

"Would you like one?" Tora asked.

"No thanks," Judy lied. She might well have tried one, but felt it best to not let _that_ personal curiosity out to the general public.

"Does your partner hate me, Officer Hopps?" inquired the Chief.

A wave of anxiousness flooded the bunny. She had to consciously keep her nose from wiggling. She did not want to talk about this. Judy answered carefully. "He hates that you do not refer to me by my married name. Surely you don't think this is still some kind of hoax."

"I don't think that, no," she replied slowly. "I know now that you're a couple. However, I will _not_ call you both Wilde because this is confusing… There are two Wildes. For orders and reporting, you will still be Hopps. It's not personal. And before you say it… to call you merely by your first names is unprofessional because I do not do this with the other officers." Judy looked away. She had, of course, suspected that the use of her maiden name was all about avoiding confusion, but for Tora to absolutely _never_ use her married name had been insulting. Other officers had even commented to her as such.

"Our first meeting could have gone better," Judy sighed, having suspected that might have had something to do with it. It was too late to stop the getting, so she didn't know why she was attempting damage control.

"It was he who assumed negatively of me. I do not wish to place you so recklessly in harms way. How should this offend you? The ZPD picks up the bill for both of your work related injuries. Are you aware that this has surpassed your salaries since you have begun working for the ZPD?" The lady chief arched a brow.

"It's been an unlucky start, sure, but it's not like they were trying to put us in those situations. We were just there, same as any officer," the doe explained.

"I did not have any negative assessment for your partner," Tora returned curtly.

"I will convey that message," Judy responded professionally.

"I do. However, have some pretty strong reservations about you." The line was delivered very nonchalantly. Judy tensed up.

What? What did she just say to her? Was that even allowed? Could she actually openly show that kind of bias? The bunny thought hard about whatever this actually meant, feeling immediately sick. She could understand Tora having an issue with Nick, with all the fox's wise-cracks and known unprofessional behavior in the bullpen. But… what problem could she have with the straight-laced bunny cop? What reason could she possibly have?

"I… Wh-why?" stammered the doe, finally getting something out.

"Are you serious?" asked the chief. Judy's ears fell back in agitation.

"Are you serious about personal bias toward an officer?" Judy asked.

"It's not personal. It's professional," Tora responded bluntly.

"What's the issue?" Judy asked. "Being professional would be just talking to me about it, not having all these 'reservations' and not letting me improve myself or whatever." She needed Nick. She needed her partner. She needed to not be alone with this apparently spiteful tiger.

Tora took a bite of her food as she watched the young doe through lazy eyes. "You and Nick are great cops. Don't think I have this problem with your _work_. I've been watching. _Together_ , you can manage pretty much anything. But you, Judy Hopps, on your own, are a substandard field officer at _best_."

"What?!" exclaimed the bunny, then tamped down her anger. She had to be professional. "I graduated top of my class. I have an impeccable record. Nick and I have a higher investigative success rate than half the actual _detectives_ on the force. How is that substandard, Tora?"

"You forgot to say chief," the tiger growled.

"There _are_ two chiefs! I wouldn't want there to be any _confusion_!" Judy literally shouted.

"Oh, Hell no…" Wolfard's voice sounded just barely at the entrance to the cafeteria. When Judy looked in that direction, he was already gone. No lupine assistance for the bunny.

"This is why you're substandard, Officer Hopps," stated the tiger. "You're emotional. You're reckless. You don't care about the consequences of going toe to toe with mammals ten times your weight. You don't rely on other officers enough. You feel the need to prove yourself to everyone - that you can do what they do, and you _can't_." Judy glared at Tora. That sounded painfully familiar, but she dismissed it. She had already proven herself to the force. She suddenly felt no need to prove herself to the interim chief. The tigress took advantage of the silence to continue. "You are still only a bunny, however well trained and well intentioned. I spent a few days carefully reviewing your record and I see evidence of your recklessness and bravado from day one… and it's not abated even after both you and Officer Wilde nearly died on separate incidents. That's usually enough to breed some caution into an officer, but not for you, oh no."

"Don't smear my selflessness and Nick's sacrifice as some kind of _flaw_ , Tora," growled Judy, actually a little surprised at the deepness of her own voice. She had not intended it to sound so threatening.

"I'm gonna be frank, Officer Hopps…" The tiger took another bite. "I actually really like Wilde. He's a splendid sample of what foxes are. Other foxes in the city look up to him. We have a few taking preliminary courses to join the academy. He's a good example for them."

"And I'm _not_ a good example for bunnies - is that it?" Judy pressed.

The interim chief gestured a bit. "Oh, you're a perfectly fine example for all the bunnies who feel the need to chuck themselves into a wood-chipper to make a name for themselves, sure. Hopps, the rabbits who are attempting to join the ZPD, and there have been several, all have one thing in common. They think that you were specifically trained to beat the hell out of that bear they saw you drop on TV. They think that they _all_ will be able to do that with a simple fighting course."

"Yeah, well, it's not like I could fight like that at the beginning…"

"You were willing to, however," the Chief stated.

"And they're not?" asked the doe.

Tora sighed deeply. "Most just stand there with their noses wiggling as the huge pillowy glove comes down on them. Eight out of the eleven lapine candidates who have attempted to join the ZPD ended their journey in the practice ring. It's not about the type of animal, Officer Hopps. It's about the type of bunny. Despite your perfectly acceptable marks for an _officer_ in your now multiple psychological evaluations, you'd have not passed for a bunny… The reason you were capable of going through the academy is not because you were an exceptional rabbit, Officer Hopps. It's because you are barely a rabbit at all."

The bunny narrowed her eyes at the tiger.

"I don't understand…" she grumbled genuinely.

"Do you like me, Officer Hopps?" asked Chief Tora.

"No," Judy answered.

"Do you respect me as your commanding officer?" the tiger pressed.

"Yes. Your contributions to the department have nothing to do with my problem with you."

"Well, our issue is the opposite. I respect you as a mammal, Judy Hopps," she waved a bit dismissively. "But, I do not as an officer. That's our disconnect."

"You are misunderstanding everything about me," growled the bunny. "Your entire view of me is flawed. You base it on the ideal bunny. I am not here to be the ideal bunny. I'm here to make the city better. Safer. I'm here to help other mammals."

"I think that you take the risks that you do to hide the fact that you are terrified of your job, and all the things that you find you have to do," Tora stated evenly, "… but not nearly as terrified as you are of letting anyone know it. Your bravado is artificial. It's there to convince you. Not anyone else."

"What?" Judy deadpanned.

"Almost every other rabbit freezes up in terror when it comes to fighting something with claws and fangs. But you don't. And I think that it's because you have crafted this Judy Hopps persona in your head where you are invincible as long as you give it everything you've got. You've been _lucky_ so far. You've either had the good fortune of other officers arriving just in time, or you've only dealt with mammals who were wildly flailing and had never actually been trained to fight. But that luck will run out."

"It runs out for everyone," the doe murmured. "I don't just fight whenever I feel like it. If you read my record, you'd know that. We deescalate all the time. And if I have to fight someone who is trained to fight, I just have to do my best, like any other officer." The doe placed a paw over her chest where the still-tender line of her healing injury was now mostly hidden by fur.

"Yes, but you don't run. Ever." Tora crossed her strong arms as she said that.

"It's not my job to run away from conflict, Tora," the bunny grumbled.

"I've run from a gang of mammals before. Car parts smuggling investigation went sour. I was twice the size of some of those mammals. You're _allowed_ to run from unacceptable risk."

"So wait… I'm having trouble following you…" Judy ran a paw down her face in frustration. She looked back up. "You originally had issue with my partner and I over the fact that we were smaller and couldn't do what other officers do. Now you want us not to even _try_? So we can fit into your narrative?"

"I meant what I said, Judy. I like Officer Wilde. I do not want to watch… what seeing you ripped in half by a psychopath will inevitably do to him. He doesn't deserve that."

"Don't make this about Nick," Judy growled. "You still can't get it through your head that I made it through the academy and I _can_ do this job as well as you can."

"Are you so sure of that Hopps? Do you want to, say… take it into the ring? No holds barred against a trained fighter?"

The bunny tensed up heavily. Was this some kind of trick? Dupe her into giving the wrong answer? Point out some other critical flaw?

Judy shook her head. "What would that prove?" the bunny asked.

"That you are vulnerable, of course. Something you don't seem to realistically grasp."

"Wait, you want to take me into the ring and beat me to prove I can be beaten? I've lost in the ring with other officers before." The doe almost wanted to laugh at that. How could her commanding officer be this wrong?

The Chief took another bite of her strongly fish-scented repast. "You haven't fought them with the understanding that it was anything other than sparring. I would have you fight me the way you would an actual assailant. You will be in duty uniform, duty gear, and you would have the understanding that if I touch you with my paws, being a tiger… that it actually represents the worst day ever for your husband."

Judy stared at the tiger, mind racing. She had little to prove by fighting the chief that she hadn't already proven in the field. It was a chance for a very highly trained fighter to humiliate her in front of other officers, but Tora seemed to think that humility was Judy's problem. Maybe if the bunny agreed to face her, she would lay off. She gazed down a moment, deep in thought.

"Reservations about fighting a tiger? You won't die. But I promise, it will hurt." Tora grinned. The bunny snapped her attention up to the Chief.

"Which is your favorite?" asked the doe.

"What?" returned the tiger.

"Which of the sushi do you like the best?"

"Well… I like these…" She indicated what appeared to be a simple cube of rice with a splayed out bit of some kind of pink fish on it. "It's Nigiri. I always save them for very last. Good things are worth waiting for. As I mentioned, I like the simple ones the best. This is elegant and showcases the - …"

Judy popped it into her mouth. Stunned, jaw agape, Tora could only watch. It wasn't bad, but the bunny actually preferred the added textures and spices that she'd had before with other fish. This pink thing was somewhat oily and a bit bland to her. Still, well chewed and down it went.

Finished with that task, she regarded her Chief with a cold stare. "You state the time and place."

"Why… did you do that, bunny?" asked the large white feline. While Judy decided she did not like sushi, she found that expression on Tora to be utterly delicious.

"So that you could save room to eat your words later, Chief." The bunny got up, turned around and then held still. Nick stood a table-length behind her. As the bunny had been caught by Wolfard actually yelling at Tora, he'd likely gone to get her mate to back her up. The doe wasn't sure what he'd heard, but she strode purposefully out of the cafeteria.

"Wilde," the tigress greeted him with a nod.

"Chief Tora," he returned professionally, and then turned and followed the bunny out.

Judy made her way to the bullpen and helped herself to the water cooler. She'd stick to tuna salad and the salty fish thing she had in the interior. Sushi did nothing for her. Still, it was worth it.

"Did you just challenge Chief Tora to a fight, Fluff?" Nick asked incredulously. "Please tell me you didn't."

"She challenged me, actually." Judy said curtly.

"She… Oh my God, and you went for it? That didn't throw up any red 'this is a trap' flags?" her vulpine sweetheart inquired.

"Maybe refusing it would have been the trap," Judy stated.

"There is not going to be a win for you, no matter how this goes, you know. There can't be." The fox crossed his arms. "Why would she even hassle you. I thought she respected you because you're so dreadfully dull in the shift assignment meetings."

"Nick, not allowing you to hide a catnip scented baggie in her podium is not me being boring," Judy informed, "… and besides. She likes you. She said so. She thinks I'm the one who is full of crap and out to get myself killed."

"At least I'm not going to try to pound her head into a mat!" The fox gestured wildly.

"I'm all on board for the getting, by the way," Judy clarified.

"I can't _get_ her if she eats you in the ring, Carrots!" Nick flailed a bit at that. "It'll look like reprisal! That's a whole different level of reprimand!"

"Then I'll just have to eat her first," Judy grinned.

"My next meeting with Carlisle's gonna be so awkward." Nick pulled his ears back. "Retract it. Or I'll retract it for you. You are not fighting Chief Tora. It's not gonna happen."

"I'm gonna do it." Judy grinned.

"Guys! What the heck's goin' on?" cried Clawhauser as he panted, entering the bullpen a bit out of breath despite being a full two uniform sizes down.

"We aren't arguing," Judy snapped, a little on edge about how her and Nick's conversations looked to the other officers after what Fangmeyer and his mate had been talking about.

"No, I mean, with this!" The portly cheetah held up his phone. It was an email on the office email server to everyone.

 _Attention: All Precinct 1 Officers_

 _Sergeant Judith L. Hopps Wilde will meet with Chief Mayumi Tora for a full contact sparring match at the Precinct One Gymnasium tomorrow morning at ten. This message is a courtesy for any officers who may have lent something to the bunny and wish to retrieve it while she remembers having it._

 _Thank you._

Nick gave a worried squeak as he read that.

"She's not going to actually hurt me, Nick. She wants to just prove that I'm not unbeatable. She wants everyone to know it." Judy turned around. "And you know what? I'm perfectly fine with this. I'm tired of everyone looking at me as the bunny that creamed a bear. I'm not mean, and I'm not extreme in my use of force. I just use more than mammals expect from a bunny."

Clawhauser, having caught his breath, whimpered, "Bogo's gonna have a stroke when he sees this! It went to all of the precinct and he's still on the mailing list!"

"Well, that's more on Tora, honestly," Nick dismissed.

"I'm supposed to be keeping you two out of trouble while he's Mayor!" whined the big cat.

"Wait, is that why we keep getting these weird calls?" Nick asked the cheetah.

"Maybe a little!" Judy flinched at that. It was Clawhauser and Bogo doing that, and not Tora. That was not expected.

"Well, don't do that!" Nick fired back.

"I mean, the cases are still what's happening around you guys, it's not like I wouldn't have to give them to someone, but… Come on, a fight? That's like… fifty-years-ago stuff!"

"She asked for it," Judy stated.

"The email doesn't say that!" Clawhauser groaned. "Everyone who knows Judy's gonna think she challenged Tora."

"Bogo will put a stop to it." Nick breathed a sigh of relief suddenly. "The message went to Bogo. That's great. He'll step in and fix this. It was actually… It was genius, really. Tora didn't want this, and that's her graceful out." Nick leaned back, smiling.

Clawhauser's phone rang at that exact moment with a sweet piano version of Gazelle's new hit, 'Unified'. The cheetah straightened up as if afraid of being found slouching.

"It's him, so I guess we'll get your answer pretty quickly," the big cat half-whispered.

"I think he'd call Tora to have her cancel it," Judy said, but was immediately crestfallen. She wanted a chance to save face by at least meeting with Tora in the ring.

"Benjamin Clawhauser," Ben greeted sunnily.

"Clawhauser. Is that email actually from Interim Chief Tora? Has working with those two driven her insane after just a few _weeks_?" His tone was very stern. It was always very stern.

"Yessir," answered the cheetah. "Well…" he snapped a glance at his present friends, "… I mean that she sent it. I don't know about… insane."

"I need you to do me a favor, Clawhauser." Again his tone was so solid and commanding. Judy listened. Nick smiled, nodding. It sounded like he was definitely going to try to fix the situation. It was a bit of a sting to Judy. It meant that she had to get bailed out. The context of the email made it seem that she was at fault for it. It wasn't fair. The Chief challenged her! She accepted the challenge from her commanding officer. There was nothing wrong with what she did. Would she face being reprimanded? Would Tora fall out of favor with the 'Mayor' and feel the need to make things harder on team Wilde? What a mess. She just wanted to stand up and not be pushed around. That was okay, wasn't it? Would Nick be mad at her? It seemed like he already was. At least, he was worried about her, and that wasn't fun either.

"Yessir… Anything you need," the friendly feline responded compliantly.

The mayor growled on the other side, "I need you to open a charity betting pool. Money will go to the Literary Expansion Fund, like last time. Put two-hundred and fifty on Hopps for me."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

 _I have been splitting my time between a great many things, but I am still finding time for this. I hope not to slow down, but there may be the occasional week that gets skipped. I do have a , not linked to my fanfiction work, that could allow me more time to write if it takes off, so here's hoping for that!._

 ** _If you are just joining Guardian Blue for the first time,_** _you will want to check out Season 1 and 2 first, and I would highly recommend Thanks for the Fox even before that as well so everything makes sense. ^^_

 _Zootopia and its residents are not aligned specifically with me. I am more dedicated to them. As such, somehow it turns out that while I do not legally represent Disney, no one else can buy or sell me either._

 _Also! A HUGE shout-out to J. N. Squire for assisting with editing for Season 3. Also, I would like to extend a special thank you to a few others who are helping me to keep_ _updating_ _and keep the quality high even with my busy schedule_ _, including the talented Erinneyes!_ _I will be doing something special to recognize them soon!_

 **Guardian Blue: Season Three**

 _Episode 4: Lesson_

"I once sold a skunk-butt rug to a violent crime boss, so believe me when I tell you, Fluff, this is a terrible idea." Her partner's voice was pleading. Judy sighed wearily. It had been relentless for the first hour of their shift. The doe had taken to just listening to the fox and not replying. He continued. "She's a _tactician_ , Carrots! You have to know she's planned this out. There isn't a win available to you here! If you back out now and just say it isn't a professional way to address these concerns, and concede only that you will be more _prudent_ in physical engagements, Tora's point will be made. She'll feel that sense of control over the department that she apparently thinks she's lacking. You can do this and keep your dignity intact!"

"I'm gonna face her in the ring, Nick." The bunny spoke calmly as she turned onto the on-ramp to the beltway between the Canal District and tundra town.

"Please, Judy. If you fight her, there are two scenarios. The first one, you show up for the fight and she makes her point then that you are reckless beyond any level of sanity. You are agreeing to fight a tiger highly trained in the martial arts without hesitation here. The second is where she goes ahead and fights you just for the added public humiliation of it and then makes the _same point_."

"You forget the third scenario," Judy mentioned glumly, glancing back at her fox. He raised a brow. "You know… the one where Tora is face down on the mat and I inform my coworkers that 'Rest assured, they can actually count on Sergeants Wilde'."

"They _know_ they can count on you, but they're not _asking_ you to fight tigers, Fluff!" Nick huffed.

The bunny dropped her head to the steering wheel as she rolled to a stop in heavy traffic. She hated this stretch of freeway. "They have to know I'm _willing_. I can't let Chief Tora make the implication that I'm not. It serves only to demoralize the whole department."

" _Please_ be willing to consider my feelings on this?" he offered hesitantly. It sounded as if he felt that probably wouldn't matter. Judy wilted a bit at that sentiment. Of course his feelings mattered. However, she was prepared for him to play this particular card.

"I believe we had this conversation before when you were so determined on 'getting' the Chief of Police." She looked at her partner with narrow eyes.

"Wait? Is _that_ what this is about?!" cried Nick, flailing a bit in the passenger seat. "Well boom! It's done! The getting is considered gotten! All done with that! Is that what you wanted?" he asked in clear exasperation. Judy widened her eyes at her fox. She honestly hadn't expected him to just drop it like that, but the intention was touching to her to be sure. He would do literally anything to protect her. She had hoped to not go over her exact intentions with this because she worried Nick would still try to talk her out of it, but his level of desperate worry for her made that impossible.

"Do you trust me?" she pressed, calling back the response she got from Nick when she voiced her original objection to the getting.

"Yes," Nick said solidly.

"Then trust that I can handle Tora. Don't worry about me, Nick. I don't intend to literally duke it out with the Chief. I have other plans. I can't make my point unless I show up, though. You need to trust me on this."

The poor fox whined at that. It pained Judy, but she and Nick had made an agreement from the very beginning. Work was work. They would not let their relationship guide all their choices where work was concerned. The bunny felt certain that Tora would not risk the public outrage of actually injuring the smaller officer, and she had considered carefully the options that she had before her. The bunny knew how she wanted to proceed with this.

"Judy… I'll support you… you know I will. Just… please be careful. I don't like the idea of the Chief using this to make things worse for you."

"Baker 914, this is dispatch." Clawhauser's voice rang out over the radio, making Judy jump slightly.

"Dispatch, this is Baker 914, go ahead, dispatch," Nick responded.

"10-25 for 10-31 at 2045 Robinwood Road," came the call. Judy moved to pull out of the parking lot. This meant they were to proceed to a location in Happytown for a criminal activity call.

"Do we know the nature of the call?" asked Nick over the radio.

"Possible stolen goods discovered on location," was the reply. Judy pulled onto the road and headed for that location.

"At least it won't be something weird again, hopefully," Nick sighed. The bunny could tell he wanted to just drop the earlier heavy discussion. She felt awful that she was not able to concede to Nick in this, but there were some things that had to be exclusively hers to handle.

They moved swiftly, but quietly into the outskirts of Happytown. They were not told to roll with sirens. The pair would be assigned to this area for however long Tora deemed it necessary. The place was actually a collection of neighborhoods that was named the way it was because at some point some overpaid public relations professional came up with the idea that applying a positive name to a place would increase the sense of value. They felt it would draw more businesses in and ease tensions created by the economic disparity of the region.

That idea ultimately failed, and it just wasn't worth it to spend the tax revenue to change the signs back. As Judy rolled along the quiet street that they had been called to, she saw the usual signs of an area that wasn't doing as well as the majority of the city. Piles of trash because the sanitation companies skipped or under-tended the area, mammals clutching very large beers very early in the day and not really going anywhere, a brown bear asleep literally just off a sidewalk. At least… Judy hoped he was just sleeping. No one walking by seemed worried. He dizzily rolled over, likely drunk. She gritted her teeth.

"Ah, Happy Town. Been a while since I was here," Nick narrated as they drove along.

"I've been through here a few times on patrol, but it was just for wellness checks and the like."

"This is usually Fangmeyer's beat. He's got a good reputation here," Nick offered.

"I wish more businesses would show an interest in the area. It would help a lot. Bring some money and some improvements."

"It's not that easy, love…" Nick said softly. The doe perked her ears at his affectionate tone. He was regarding some of the boarded up homes. This was a mostly residential area full of old trees, cluttered yards, broken fences, and no trespassing signs.

"Money seems like a simple enough solution to the problem of 'no one's got money'," expressed Judy.

"Often, when you push a bunch of outside money into a poor area," Nick explained, taking his sunglasses off, "You only attract mammals with more money into the area, and ultimately the ones who had less money get forced out. That's where you get the real spike in crime. Mixing the haves with the have-nots. Then, the have-nots become a problem that the haves need to solve. And that's how this happens." The fox pointed to the row of boarded up houses. "Now, the places here are too expensive for poor Zootopians because of the nice shops two streets up, but no one who _could_ afford these homes wants to live here because of the slum two streets down." Judy dropped her ears back.

Okay, Nick had a pretty good grasp of the place. She knew he would, but that was considerably more complicated and depressing than she originally understood. She supposed a lot of details were like that. At a glance it seems like it would be simple to solve a problem which made so many mammals unhappy. But in the end, if that problem had been around for such a long time, obviously some great mammals had already likely taken a crack at it and there the problem still was. It was like Nick said. It's not always that easy.

"So, what do we do?" the doe inquired.

"The long game," her mate replied. "We help everyone we can, and encourage the rest to help someone else. Remember your speech? 'Change starts with you'? We can't fix everything, but maybe we can give some encouragement to those who will. You just passed the place." Judy shook her head and slowed down, driving a little further and taking a u-turn. Nick being inspirational so suddenly had completely derailed the bunny.

The place, it turned out, was an obviously closed gas station. Judy and her partner carefully got out of the car. An otter shuffled over toward them from a small convertible parked outside. It was a slender female otter with a pink flower over her right ear.

"Are you the one who called?" the bunny inquired. The otter stopped short, almost stumbling.

"Oh. Oh goodness. Officer Hopps. And Wilde! Wow." She smoothed down a simple blue sleeveless blouse and put her little thumbs in her pockets self consciously. Judy was used to it by now. Most folks relaxed after a couple of minutes of Judy just being an actual cop.

"Saves on introductions for one side at least. You are?" Nick asked. Her green eyes locked with him.

"Kris. Kris Fisher." She nodded, still staring at the fox. Was she nervous about him? Usually other predators weren't.

"What's going on, Kris?" Judy distracted her. She yanked her eyes away from Nick and stared at the bunny.

"Huh? Whuh?" She blinked. "Oh! Yes! My dad won this gas station in an estate auction and he sent me to check it out. When I got here… I mean… something really strange is going on. It's full of cheese."

"The gas station?" prodded Nick to clarify. She looked back at the taller mammal.

"Yes."

"Full of Cheese," the fox further qualified.

"So much Cheese."

"Cover me, bunny, I'm goin' in." Nick made a beeline for the door. Judy rolled her eyes and snagged Nick's tail. He whined.

"Hey, don't grab his tail!" scolded the otter in a huffy tone. Judy blushed. It was so easy to forget that it wasn't a thing just anyone did.

"It's alright, Kris," Nick chuckled. "I was being silly. Let's check out what's going on." He motioned for Judy. Kris, seeming suddenly rooted in place, stayed in the parking lot as Judy followed her partner.

"Hey, sorry about that. I just… I forget that's… not okay." She felt genuinely bad about having done it. It was technically a PDA for all it was worth.

"It's alright, fluff. Remember, we aren't hiding it anymore. Public record now."

"Yeah, but that's behavior I can't do in uniform. I need to be at least… conscious of that." She followed Nick in as he opened the door. It did _not_ look like a gas station from inside. There were rows of cold chests and the whole place was pretty chilly.

Nick spoke up as he took in the scene. "Climate control. This is definitely not set up like a gas station… But it looks like the boxes are kind of new. And oh yeah, I smell cheese. I'm in heaven. Please… Wait outside fluff. I'm gonna do something unethical."

"Nick!" hissed Judy.

"Alright, alright, you know I'm teasing." He opened one of the heavy boxes. Judy found some pipes leading from outside blowing cold air.

"I hear a generator. They aren't on the grid Nick. Whoever's doing this probably never owned the building.

"Squatters using this to make cheese to sell, maybe?" he considered. "Wait… What?" The fox picked up a large white block wrapped in clear plastic. "This cheese has names."

"Named cheese?" repeated the bunny, moving over closer. The one Nick held said 'Grace Bovinia'. He picked up another, and it read 'Linsey Guernsey'.

"Sounds like they have some high end cheese here," Judy observed.

"Illegal," Nick clarified.

"What?" prompted Judy.

"Seriously? The college graduate and valedictorian doesn't see the significance?"

"Come on Nick, no fooling around, just fill me in!" Judy protested.

"Be nice to him!" complained Kris, entering. Normally she would have told Kris to go back outsie, but she was technically there as a representative of the owner of the property. She had a right to be there, crime scene or not.

"He's teasing me!" Judy returned, perhaps bordering on the unprofessional.

"She's usually super nice to me!" Nick laughed knowingly.

The little lady otter gasped. "No, it's not right! I get that she's big in the news, but you do just as much, she can't just talk down to you!" the otter squeaked. Judy dropped her ears hard and frowned. Was she really giving the public impression that she was mistreating Nick? That was awful!

"So, why is this cheese illegal, Nick?" asked Judy, trying to pry that incorrect assumption away.

"I am also curious…" the otter admitted.

"It's not just a label, Judy. This cheese is named. As in, it advertises coming from a celebrity." He held up another block of cheese, orange this time. It said 'Kari'.

"Can't whoever the label is for just say publicly they never sold dairy?" posed Kris. It was not uncommon to find cheese, but the law, Judy remembered right that moment, stated that it was always an anonymous donation. The reason was that a sufficiently famous mammal like the former model, Grace Bovinia, could use her name to literally corner the market on cheese and make it so other mammals who offered even a superior product could not hope to enter the market.

"They could deny it if they were alive," stated Nick coldly. A soft gasp from Kris alarmed Judy, and she tensed up, half expecting that her partner had just found a body in the next cold chest he'd opened. The fox clarified casually, "All of the mammals whose names are on this cheese are dead."

"Wait, what?" dropped Judy.

"They are actresses, models, painters… famous mammals who will never have another salad." Nick peeled open a block of cheese with the name "Reba Cudd" on it.

"Hey, don't open that!" cried the bunny, who then gasped in horror and a helping of revulsion as her fox took a bite and chewed slowly.

"Mnnnh… thought so. Fake. Completely fake."

"How can you tell?" asked the otter girl in a completely mystified voice. She did not seem upset about the vulpine pushing weird illegal cheese into his maw.

"Taste. This is new cheese. It's just not as advertised. They've used enzymes for parm to create 'aged cheddar'. It's literally not even trying. It's just… let's make something taste different and call it old." Judy's eyes shot open wider. She knew Nick liked dairy products, but she was not fully aware how deep that went.

"Wow… That's amazing!" squeaked Kris in a way that chilled Judy's blood. Oh that was layered with all kinds of affection. The bunny sucked in a breath and forced back her unexpected and unwanted wave of jealousy. This was _not_ a threat to her. Nothing was.

"How old _should_ that be?" pondered Judy.

"Cudd has been gone a long time, Judy. It would be legitimately old. I' m talking about 25 years. This is a black market bootleg fake cheese factory. Oh wow. No way. Not cool." Nick held up another.

"Swinton Premier?" asked Judy.

"Like… the late mayoral candidate?!" hissed the otter with distress.

"Her picture's on the label!" indicated Nick with disgust.

"Swinton didn't even _have_ kids! How the heck was she makin' cheese!?" cried Judy.

"Sometimes a Secret can be profitable," Nick read from the label. "We may never know the heir to the Swinton legacy, but you will know the flavor of her sacrifice for the great city of Zootopia."

"Oh that is just the…" Kris gasped.

"That's the most horrible bottom feeding thing I've ever heard!" Judy exclaimed. "The dirt on her grave's not even settled yet!"

"It's heartless!" cried Kris.

"It's greed at its worst!" Judy answered.

"It's unconscionable!" shouted the little otter.

"It's actually goat cheese," Nick stated knowingly.

" _Stop eating that_!" cried Judy. How could he?! He didn't know anything about this stuff! He was munching on evidence!

"I'm investigating!" Nick claimed, putting the open Swinton Premier down.

"Wait, my dad's new gas station is a crime scene?" cried the otter.

"Afraid so…" Judy stated.

"He's gonna be so upset!" she whined.

Judy stared into those pleading green otter eyes and spoke sympathetically. "We will try to get all this… garbage… out of here." She shot Nick a look of irritation, then regarded Kris again. "… but the detectives are gonna need to open an investigation."

"I've already texted Pawlander. He's literally two hours out," Nick stated. "Can I try this… wait… what?" Nick picked up a tiny cube.

"No, Nick, don't eat that," sighed Judy.

"No. Just… no. 'Hopps Hoppin' Cheddar'," Nick stated darkly.

"The Hell you say!" Judy was at her partner's side in an instant. The label was clear. There was a ZPD badge right on the damned cheese label.

"Oh my God…" Kris whispered.

"I'm not dead!" cried Judy. "How can they sell this?!"

Kris read the label. "She gave everything for the city she loved. To protect her family, she kept it a secret. Now, you get to sample our sharpest cheddar ever."

"I didn't die!" shouted Judy, genuinely enraged.

"Carrots… They're saving this for when you do. Shoot, look…" Nick held up another.

"Gouda Gazelle… What the heck?" Judy grumbled.

"They are saving this stuff to sell right when these mammals pass away," the fox explained.

"Really?!" cried Kris. "Throw all of this in the dumpster! These… These sickos can't get away with it!"

"Don't you dare eat that!" Judy growled at Nick.

"I don't even know what bunny cheese tastes like, just the milk," Nick revealed. He dropped the Judy cheddar in the cold box.

"Wait, what?" deadpanned Kris.

"Cute, Nick. Sorry Kris, this will probably not be ready today. I will give your info to Pawlander, our detective."

The otter girl sighed softly. "It's alright, I didn't want to try to clean out a closed down gas station today anyway, but my dad wants to make a game store out of this. He won't be happy that criminals moved into it."

Nick spoke softly, "I would ask that since this is a crime scene, you actually head home and let us do our work. We'll get in touch with you and let you know when its okay to start cleaning up. Based on what I see, you won't have much left here to have to clean after we clear out the contraband." The fox nodded at that advice given.

The otter giggled. "Oh, you don't even have to _ask_ for my number, officer Wilde, you were gonna get it no matter what!" laughed Kris, wriggling a bit in a fashion that Judy could comprehend as physically possible only because she was an otter. The doe rolled her eyes. This was a part of celebrity that she hoped would not be going to her partner's head.

"Thank you," Nick responded professionally. The small otter gave the fox her info and headed back toward her little car. The bunny watched her drive away, the little aquatic mammal wearing a contented grin despite the bad news she was taking home.

"I think she likes you," Judy announced to her partner as he glanced down at his little note book.

"She dots her i's with hearts, Fluff. I don't even know a _bunny_ who does that," he sighed.

"Jessie used to write her name with a heart as the 'o' in Hopps." explained Judy as they headed back to the car to wait for a detective to get on scene. They would need to remain for observation of the property to make sure whoever was responsible for the illicit cheese house did not come back to tamper with evidence.

"That's actually worse," Nick laughed.

"I think its about the same," Judy commented.

Her partner smirked. "Oh? Well, let's do a little experiment. Every time you write my name on your next report, put little hearts over the 'i'… but on the one after that, use a heart in the place of the 'o' in 'police'." Judy gave an uncharacteristic loud single laugh and covered her muzzle. For some reason the idea of her doing the second one was way funnier to her.

"Okay, you made your point," Judy chuckled.

"Well, we managed to get another weird one. Clawhauser could not possibly have planned that," Nick pointed out.

"And now we're stuck here for almost half our shift, most likely," the doe sighed.

"At least it's not a stakeout with Higgins."

"... After 40 pounds of spicy cabbage," Judy added with a laugh.

"Mmmm, kimchi," her partner drawled.

"Now I'm hungry," Judy observed.

"Well, I happen to know there's some cheese in there with your name on it," Nick smirked. Judy groaned and dropped her head onto the bottom of the steering wheel of their cruiser. This was going to be a long next couple of hours.

"Have I told you that I feel like this is a bad idea?" Nick asked as he plodded along behind his bunny, posture such that it seemed he was following her to his own beat-down, not hers.

"Wait, what?" Judy turned around suddenly. "No! You're just telling me this now?!" she exclaimed. Nick made a straight line of his brows. Judy nudged his shoulder. "It'll be fine, Nick. Tora goofed up. She gave me time to think about this."

"Uh, Judy, that was to give you a chance to back out gracefully, I'm pretty sure." Nick fell into step behind her again. "Slow down, the emergency's not for another… maybe twelve minutes if she decides to talk first."

"I told you Nick, there won't be a brawl. I can handle this." Judy smiled at her partner encouragingly.

"Don't you need to change for the fight? You aren't really gonna spar in that?" Nick gestured to her regular patrol uniform.

"Tora said it needed to be my standard duty gear, and I actually agree with her. It needs to simulate the conditions of the field."

"Oh you're a method actor now. Jack would be proud." Nick rolled his eyes.

"Hush you. And try _not_ to look freaked out. Tora's likely to be watching you as well." Judy opened the door to the gym. She faltered slightly. It was actually pretty crowded in there. She saw Clawhauser, Snarlov, Higgins, and Fangmeyer in the front row. Francine was in the back as well. There were officers in the crowd of maybe thirty she actually didn't even know. There were even two rat officers from the Little Rodentia precinct. The announcement went out only to Precinct 1, but it seemed that word got out.

"I'm freaking out," Nick whispered to Judy.

"Quit it. Everything's fine," the bunny grumbled. She was very irritated that Tora had gone out of her way to make this a spectacle.

"Oh. You actually showed up," the tiger stated from her place in the sparring ring. She was leaning against the ropes in a relaxed running outfit. "I'm actually not surprised, though. Judy Hopps does not back away from a fight."

"Wilde!" came a shout from the crowd. It sounded like Wolfard. He was so nice.

Judy bounced up onto the platform of the sparring ring and padded to the center of it, arms crossed in front of her chest. "It's been a long day, Chief Tora. I know a lot of these mammals are off duty and would like to head home, so we can dispense with the pleasantries. Say what you're gonna say."

"You _really_ want to punch me out, don't you?" gasped the tigress in obvious mock surprise.

"Kicking is actually more my thing," the lapine officer replied dismissively. A few mammals in the audience laughed. The doe ignored it. This was not meant to be entertainment.

"Yes… of course." Tora's expression darkened. "I want to begin by explaining to the officers gathered that no, I do not _dislike_ officer Hopps as a mammal. I will not hear any talk to the contrary." She glared at a fixed point in the audience. The bunny wondered if someone had voiced disapproval. Maybe Wolfard was getting to the end of his tolerance.

Judy spoke up, wanting to end misgivings there and then. "I will confirm to those gathered," she peered out at the curious eyes all upon her. "Tora and I have discussed her concerns about my approach to policing. We have a simple difference of opinion on what she sees as a failure to fall back as often as she interprets I should. She worries about how my being harmed on the job would affect morale."

Tora cut in, an edge to her voice. "… aaaand also, how it will affect my ability to lead the department. How it will affect your family. How it will affect the officer that called you out there, as a supervisor, to help them. Will they resist calling for backup when they need it because they don't want to see their backup harmed by what they later deem as _their_ inability to maintain control over a risky situation? This is not about you alone, Hopps."

"Wilde!" yelled a female officer. Judy didn't even recognize that voice.

Judy interrupted, "Look, we're all here to do the same job. And none of us are supposed to believe that we're doing it alone. If backup is needed, I will be there for my fellow officers whether they call for me or not… before, during, and after the incident." Judy glared at Tora. There was applause. This was not supposed to be entertaining. Tora was _trying_ to make the other officers reconsider putting her in danger. She could not control Judy, so perhaps she could control them. While Tora might feel justified due to however she felt about Judy's perceived vulnerability in the field, Judy decided it was ultimately about how the Chief would be viewed in the worst case scenario. The doe could understand. It wasn't something she could fault Tora for feeling, but her visible lack of support for her smallest officers was going to prove more harmful to the department overall. Of this, the doe was certain.

The tiger waged a paw casually at her bunny subordinate in the ring. "I concede that you do genuinely think you are doing what's right for the department, yes." Tora's agreement there surprised Judy a little. "… However, you are reckless beyond the point of frustration, even to Bogo. Your first three days on the job were filled with more close calls than I experienced in my first three years, and I was pretty aggressive in my youth."

"My first days saw little support from the department. If you've read the reports, you know that," Judy countered.

"And even less regard for protocol," insisted the tigress.

"For which I was justifiably reprimanded," the rabbit clarified. "When was my last reprimand?"

"Learning the rules did not change your attitude toward your own safety, Hopps," grumbled Tora.

"Wilde!" came the cry from almost everyone. The tone for most was playful in what might have been perceived as a running gag, while a few voices sounded genuinely annoyed.

"What are the rules of engagement here?" pressed Judy, arms still crossed. She wasn't going to let Tora's insistence on calling her by her unmarried name distract from the point. "It's a simulation, right?" Tora moved to the corner of the ring and pushed her large tiger paws into a canvas bag. She drew them out. There was white chalk on them.

The tigress glared. "Very well. The rules are simple. I will not be using my claws, obviously, so if you get white on you from my paws, it counts as a hit. If I hit you in a spot that you likely would have not survived had my claws been involved, the match is over, and so is the bunny. My point that you will eventually encounter a foe you can't handle will be set in stone. Everyone here needs to understand that _very real_ point."

"What's the situation?" Judy asked.

"I'm attacking a police officer," deadpanned the Chief.

The bunny shook her head. "No. Not enough. I would be unlikely to be involved in a use of force incident with utterly no knowledge of the situation. Where are we? Why did I come here? How far out is backup? Where is my partner?" This, Judy felt, was part of the issue. Tora seemed to think that Judy never thought about the risk and her options. She always did. Nothing was entirely unplanned, even if she had to make choices quickly.

"Alright, fine." The tiger stood in the center of the ring. "You came out on a disturbance call. A tiger with emotional problems stopped taking medication. You radioed for backup upon arriving at the scene, an apartment building, and finding other mammals in the process of fleeing the building."

"I'm not going into that building without backup, Tora. Even if I were reckless, I know the protocol for that situation."

"You hear a cub screaming inside," the tigress elaborated. There was a collective groan. Immediate public safety. It would force an officer's paw in such a situation so that they had to act more quickly. This was a hard scenario for Judy.

The bunny gave a drawn out sigh. "You realize that you just gave the _exact_ reason you think I'm reckless in the first place, right?" the doe asked. "I follow the guidelines for this kind of scenario and I go inside to try to help the kit or cub, screaming innocent victim… and you get to say I'm being foolish. I'm here first. I'm a ZPD officer. I'm going in. Fine. Where's my partner?"

"The moment you get onto the steps of the apartment building I crashed through a second story window and land on Officer Wilde. You don't know his condition, but he's not getting up." Judy felt an agonizing tightening of her heart. Okay, yeah… she would be a _lot_ less likely to fall back and wait for help in this situation. Her immediate instinct would be to get the tiger away from her partner before he or she could do more damage. She had attacked Motti without hesitation in The Interior for a similar reason. But Nick would do the same. Fangmeyer would do the same. Even Higgins would do the same. It wasn't specifically protocol, but that's how it was.

"Alright…" Judy stared at the tigress. "So, you've taken out my partner, and I'm left on the steps of the apartment with help too far away and no immediate cover. You have fashioned a scenario where you know without a doubt I will not back down. You've thought this out."

"As often you do not," replied Tora.

Judy ignored that last swipe. "What are the conditions for my victory in this fight? Obviously I don't have claws for you to worry about, so putting dust on my paws isn't going to mean anything."

"Right… If you can knock me off my feet or I end up out of the ring in this fight without you sustaining a life-threatening injury, we will have established at least that you might last until help arrives. Do you have all the information that you need?" Tora was obviously _trying_ to be patient, but Judy hadn't expected that she would give a detailed scenario the way she did. It suggested that she was willing to entertain the idea that Judy did think about these things.

"Yes," Judy responded.

"Do you have any other questions for me?" grumbled the Chief.

"Well, are there any medications that you are allergic to in the event that a medic is needed?" inquired the bunny. The room boomed with the laughter of larger mammals.

"No, I'm pretty sure I'll be fine," Tora growled.

"Very well. Begin the scenario then," Judy stated.

"Agreed. Begin," the Chief accepted. Judy tensed up, squaring off with the tiger only two body-lengths away from the bunny she intended to 'kill' on the mat. There wasn't a sound from the audience. The soft creaking of the ceiling fan, loose in it's housing, was all that could be heard. Well, that and Higgins breathing. That was pretty much always audible. Tora gave a very low, threatening rumble of a growl. It reminded Judy of the first time she'd had a run-in with a large predator. Manchas. She _did_ retreat then, initially. Ultimately she confronted that big cat too, in order to save Nick. The scenario was not that different here. Big cat, save Nick.

There was suddenly a dull thump behind Tora. The tiger turned to check in a manner that made Judy feel like maybe the Chief's phone fell out of her pocket or something. The bunny tilted her head though, able to see it wasn't a phone at all. There was a very large, long, dark green cucumber inexplicably resting on the mat.

"Nyaaaa!" screeched Tora, her voice a near shriek or terror. She dived for the edge of the ring and rolled right out onto the floor. Judy cringed at that. It was a vegetable! What the heck?! She immediately glared at Nick, but found he looked believably shocked too. She could swear that was the kind of thing he'd have done. He could do research and learn that the Chief had a phobia of produce and would then prank her at the start of the match to throw her off guard. That was classic fox.

"Out!" cried Wolfard with a laugh, and the whole room was booming again.

"No! Absolutely not!" shouted Tora, getting everyone to shut up immediately. "Wilde!"

"Yes?" asked Judy calmly. More laughter. This was not starting well for Tora, but if Nick had thrown that cucumber, it would be a bad day for them both. Judy didn't want that. He _had_ to have known that!

"That!" She pointed at a stunned-looking fox. "A month of Parking Duty!" she shouted.

"It wasn't me!" shouted Nick, flailing a bit.

"It _had_ to be you!" growled Tora. "Half the audience is here recording it. You have to know I will find out who it was!"

"It wasn't me!" the fox insisted. Judy dropped her ears back as Tora climbed back into the ring and kicked the cucumber out hard.

"If it wasn't Wilde, then whoever did that, leave right now. You just excused yourself from the match. If you make me look at the video to figure it out, I'll be assigning you traffic duty."

Judy watched in absolute breathless shock as Clawhauser got up and shuffled toward the door.

"Wait, really?" murmured Tora, seeming just as dumbfounded.

"Don't worry Ben, we're recording it!" Wolfard laughed.

"Thanks, guys." The cheetah still seemed glum about missing the match. The double doors thudded shut behind him hollowly. Judy couldn't believe _Clawhauser_ would have done that! The other officers were quiet, careful not to get into the angry Chief's cross-hairs after that.

"So, obviously tricks from the spotted peanut gallery do not count, and our match will proceed. Nothing's changed. Any other interruptions from anyone, regardless of how funny or well-intentioned, will be met with parking duty." Judy quirked an eyebrow. Was she honestly admitting that Clawhauser's joke was funny? Tora continued, "Also, the first mammal who loads that scene on Ewetube is looking at suspension." Her face was chiseled with determination. "Understood?!"

"Yes Ma'am!" came the unified shout. The bunny hoped that the cheetah did not get into too much trouble for that. She wondered if maybe Nick had put him up to it, but dismissed that. The fox would never let their portly coworker take the fall for a joke he had to have _wished_ he thought of himself. She also couldn't let that distraction change how she intended to handle this.

"Now then. Hopps." The anxiousness increased again, and no one tried to correct the Chief this time. She was angry. They knew it.

"Yes, Ma'am." Judy lowered her arms, getting ready.

"One chance to save the life of your partner, or your own. Fleeing the ring and keeping space between you and your assailant is an option here. You know that it is."

"You know that it's not. I'm not letting him, or any of them, die." Judy felt the opportunity was right to make her case. She'd do it for any of her fellow officers. They needed to know that. Yes, it still made Tora's point… that any of them needing her might result in Judy being put in this life or death situation, but that held true for Wolfard or McHorn coming to _her_ aid as well. It might be slightly less likely, but they were not invincible. Officers were injured during the Battle of Trunkapalooza, as it was called. They rushed in to help. It was what they were trained to do. Tora meant well, but she had to learn to depend on her officers. All of them.

"Know that I appreciate your professionalism in this, Judy. I hope this doesn't color your opinion of me negatively. I care deeply for all the officers under me. This… is a lesson in mortality. Never throw away what you have given to this city. You are not expendable. A sacrifice is sometimes needed, but not every time." The tiger took a step toward Judy, then growled, signaling aggression. She lowered a bit, preparing to lunge at Judy.

The doe answered. "I understand and appreciate what you wish to convey, Chief Tora," she stated calmly as the tiger advanced menacingly, teeth bared. Tora's dusty paws were held at ready to knock the bunny out of the ring. Every officer remained utterly still and quiet. Even Higgins was noticeably holding his breath. The bunny drew in a slow breath of her own and took stock of the moment. Nick might have been right. There might not be a _win_ for her in this ring with Tora, but the scenario was not that dissimilar. Her partner was down. He might be gone. This would not be a winning day for the doe, but she could at least hope to survive. That was what she intended to do.

"Oh please be careful." That was Francine Pennington's voice.

The doe gazed unflinchingly at the much more massive mammal as she stepped faster toward Judy, snarling terribly. Judy backed in a slow circle around the ring, letting the Chief stalk her menacingly. "We all know our lives are at stake and that's what you wish to convey… However, this is also a lesson in tactical procedure."

Judy pulled her duty tranq-pistol from her utility belt and immediately fired.

The tiger stopped dead in her tracks and stared down at her midsection which now featured a tuft of bright red from a heavy-dose tranq dart. Tora had told Judy to handle this the way she might an actual scenario. The bunny would never have gone to that apartment without a tranq pistol. She would not have physically fought the tiger if she had the less dangerous option available. She handled this situation _exactly_ by the book.

"Nan…ni?" came the horrified response from the tiger before she stumbled back, then collapsed on her back in the middle of the ring with an echoing thud.

The gym was completely silent.

A few moments passed as Judy regarded the properly pacified tigress. She did not appear to be reacting badly to the tranq, so the medics did not have to be called in. She glanced up at her partner finally. He was consciously about as stunned as the Chief, it appeared. Everyone kind of shared that comical expression of shock. Judy did it. She shot the Chief. In front of everyone. She hoped the tigress would be in an understanding mood, but that really was the way that scenario should have gone down. The only genuine way she could safely have done that in the field.

The bunny finally spoke, breaking the weighted silence.

"I respect what Chief Tora was trying to convey today, everyone. She cares about us, and for the esteemed image of the ZPD. She has taken, at least temporarily, the mantle of Chief of Police. With that comes considerable prestige and also the high expectations of the entire city. But I know all too well that with the duties of Chief, there exists a most terrible possible requirement that none but the mammal in charge must bear. It falls to the Chief of Police to inform the loved ones, the media, the other officers when one of us is lost. I do not blame Chief Mayumi Tora for wanting to avoid this terrible consequence of her position. I would do… anything… to never know what it feels like. But I do." The doe placed a paw over the center of her chest. Her body armor made it impossible to actually touch the name plate she still wore around her neck. She watched a slightly pained expression cross Nick's face, his ears falling back. He knew.

Judy took a breath to calm herself. She had thought about this for a while. It needed to be stated. "I will not thoughtlessly put you all through what I watched you go through with me last summer. However, when we put on this badge, we know it's a possibility." She looked down at the slumbering chief. One of the medics hopped up on the stage, a meerkat, who began administering the diffuser for the tranq dart. The bunny decided to cut it short. She did not want to be here when the tiger _fully_ woke up. The chief's green eyes fluttered open slightly and fixed on the bunny.

"Chief Tora, I hope you forgive me for the drastic measure I took today. But, I recognize that it's the choices I make out there in the field that mean I get to see you all at work tomorrow. I will try to be more judicious in my use of force on duty, but this is _not_ for you alone, and not because I personally feel like I have been too reckless during some of the most extreme situations that can be thrown at an officer. I assure you that I will do everything I can to keep coming back safe because I believe in the long game… The one where we really can make Zootopia a better place… and I can only play if I'm still here." Nick cupped his muzzle in his paws.

There was a thunderous applause for a bit and Nick rubbed his face in his paws.

"Wha… wee…" The Chief tried to speak, still completely immobile on her back. The officers went quiet, listening.

"Ma'am?" Judy asked, not wanting to get too close just yet.

"Yee… You could… have used… an unfilled cartridge…" grunted the tiger. Judy lowered her ears back, looking down at the tiger with concern. Well, yeah… yeah she could have done that. But, if she had, it might have gotten back to the tiger what she intended to do. Judy wasn't sure how to answer that.

"I mean, yeah, but the point would not have been made as… effectively?" she offered.

"This is why… Bogo was laughing," groaned the feline. Judy cringed a little. This was not really about Bogo.

"Ma'am?" Judy pressed again.

"Good match. You are dismissed, Wilde," she said more firmly.

"Err… Okay?" responded Nick.

The tiger dropped her head back to the mat and grinned slightly. "Not you… the other Wilde. Go home Sargent. I will see you… in the bullpen… tomorrow."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**

 _Two updates in one month? How is this possible?! I recently ended up in the hospital with health complications caused in part by pushing myself too hard. This is how I relax. Zootopia has never been a chore for me. I was happy to write it. Thank you for letting me hang out with you, my readers, and enjoy the world of Zootopia once more. I also want to thank JN Squire for his support on with the specific intent that I continue to be able to write this story, taking some of the pressure off of me. It means a LOT!._

 ** _If you are just joining Guardian Blue for the first time,_** _you will want to check out Season 1 and 2 first, and I would highly recommend Thanks for the Fox even before that as well so everything makes sense. ^^ Duke of Absolution will likely also be needed. This story is getting big._

 _I do not own or control or have any financial stake in Zootopia. It just got me through hard times and I'm giving back to that world, and its fans, as hard as I possibly can._

 _Also! Another HUGE shout-out to J. N. Squire for assisting with editing for Season 3. Also, I would like to extend a special thank you to a few others who are helping me to keep updating and keep the quality high even with my busy schedule, and my friend Alex who helps me greatly with beta-reading! I will be doing something special to recognize them soon!_

 **Guardian Blue: Season Three**

 _Episode 5: Cheese_

"You are fortunate it was not improperly made and outright toxic, Nick." Tora put down the file that she'd been reading. "It was a food product made in a closed, gutted out _gas station_. Please leave 'taste' out of your investigation techniques in the future." Judy gazed up at the towering tiger anxiously. She had suspected that Tora might be harder on her and her husband after the 'fight' but so far, she'd been outright professional. The bunny glanced down at the shiny "Got You" coin that still held a position on her desk. If she really knew what that meant, she would not be displaying it there. However, it rested among other multi-species cultural tokens. She looked back at her partner, keeping her trap shut, since the tiger had addressed him directly. And, she noted, it was by his first name, making it clear that was how she intended to prevent confusion. There were no other Nicks or Judies in the precinct.

"I will avoid doing so unless directed by a superior officer," Nick agreed.

"N… No superior officer is going to tell you to nibble evidence." Tora appeared rather alarmed that the fox suggested that might happen. Judy understood why. It made it seem like perhaps the crazy went further up the ladder. That would present a more difficult problem for their chief to address.

"It was okay though, wasn't it?" Judy finally asked.

"No. As an investigative technique, it was unnecessarily risky. We have a forensic lab for a reason, Judy."

"No, I mean the cheese was okay?" the doe clarified. She found herself secretly delighted at being called by her first name, even if it might usually be viewed as unprofessional.

"Oh. Yes. But it was obviously not as labeled." She picked up a separate file and opened it, reviewing it.

Judy nodded curtly. "Right. Nick said the Swinton was … goat?" She turned her attention to her partner, who nodded.

"And he was accurate, for the pack that he'd opened. Two others, however, were bovine." Tora continued to scan down the document. "The Hopps cheese was from…" Judy blanched. She couldn't help it. What a ghoulish concept. Wait till she died in the line of duty and then suggest that she had kits secretly and sold her own milk… for what? Out of desperation? What kind of story were the makers of this fake product even suggesting? Tora was looking at Nick who stared attentively.

"What? I didn't try that one. My partner wouldn't let me." The tiger glanced back at Judy and nodded and then back to the document.

"It was actual bunny milk. And, it was the only one. So in that case, they tried to get it right. We have detectives asking a few of our usual sources, but so far we don't have any appreciable leads. That is what brings us here." The tiger handed Judy the file with the information about the case.

"Ma'am?" responded the bunny.

"I want you and Nick to take point on the investigation. Gain a feel for working as detectives, as this is the direction you are both quickly moving." Judy's heart thundered in her chest. This was a highly unexpected chance. Had she impressed Tora, or was this somehow a setup? She couldn't be sure! The tiger continued. "I feel that this case is a good match for you two, in that I feel like a fraudulent cheese case will provide few opportunities to be attacked by rogue ZBI agents, blow up train cars, or get hacked apart with machetes." Judy laid her ears back. Oh. It was given to them because it was mundane.

"Thank you. We will make it our top priority, Chief Tora," Nick expressed. He was being remarkably professional himself, but Judy understood that it was because he was nervous about how the acting chief felt about the fight as well.

"Also, ZNN wants to interview you both concerning your marriage. With everything that has happened in recent weeks, I can understand why that has avoided the news cycle, but they feel it's worth talking about now. In particular because another fox and bunny couple you are both aware of have managed to dodge the media attention about their personal lives thus far. I ask that you pass on that. You will not enjoy the public attention that will generate, I assure you."

Judy perked her ears up again and nodded in eager affirmation. "We fully intend to keep that our own business."

"Good. I stress that this is not judgement on my part, I just feel that it would be…" Tora uncomfortably tried to express herself, obviously worrying that she was coming across as having a personal issue with the pairing.

"…Unneeded distraction from our work," Nick finished.

"Yes. Right." The tiger nodded to Judy's partner.

"Thank you for the opportunity for practice in detective work, Chief." Judy wanted to make sure she showed her appreciation, even if it was a case that was picked by paw to fit the smaller officers.

"Is Clawhauser in trouble for the cucumber thing?" Nick asked, surprising Judy a little. She had wondered that as well, because he had been out the following day. It might have just been his day off, however.

"His front desk food privileges were… modified in response, yes." Tora bridged her claws in front of her, appearing more firm.

"Modified?" Nick pressed.

"Yes… In that I supply his snacks." Nick's expression fell. Judy could certainly understand. That seemed a very bizarre punishment.

"What… are you supplying?" the bunny asked.

"Healthy options, and a new workout routine. I assure you, it's supportive." The bunny sat up straighter. Oh. Bogo had been encouraging Clawhauser lately to help him shed more than fur, and it was apparent that duty had been passed on to the acting chief.

"Thank you for working with Benjamin in that regard. Ch – err… Mayor Bogo promised him Gazelle tickets if he lost a certain amount and that seemed to work."

"I have offered him no such thing. I am his morning jogging partner until I start seeing healthy habits emerge." Judy sat silent, slack-jawed. Okay, she had not expected the chief to be so paws on, but it honestly should not have been that much of a surprise. She was willing to spar with Judy to make a point, of course she might directly work with the padded cheetah to get results. The bunny suddenly felt incredibly sorry for Clawhauser as she considered how difficult that must be. He may have actually come to work that day and just not been able to work his shift after being run to death by the very fit tigress.

"I need to go to a meeting concerning the council investigation, so if you two have no further questions about your assignment?" pressed Tora.

"This will be fine, Thank you." Nick picked up the file.

"Thank you, Chief Tora," Judy repeated.

And with that, they left Bogo's former office and headed out to the garage.

"That went well," expressed Nick as they got into the car. Judy took the driver's seat, as she almost always did.

The bunny smiled to her husband. "So, do we want to go back by the gas station and see if we can find anything that got missed by …" she regarded the file as she started the engine. "… Detective Banderson?" That was their zebra detective from Precinct 2.

"There is one place I want to try first, actually," stated the fox, fastening his seatbelt.

"Where to?" Judy felt light-hearted and cheerful after dealing with a less negative Chief Tora.

"Gideon's," Nick replied.

"Nick, that's personal, we need to have our focus on the case." Judy pulled out of the garage.

Nick smiled smugly. "There's someone there who might know of a mammal who might have been, at some point, looking for equipment on the cheap to make cheese." Judy tapped her steering wheel excitedly. Of course! He wasn't a criminal anymore, but it didn't mean that he wouldn't know about that. It took time to make cheese and this might have been going on for more than a year.

"Good thinking, partner!" she chimed appreciatively, "And I am sure it has nothing to do with the chance of free blueberry tarts from your dear mother at the same time!"

"You wound me, Officer Wilde," Nick mock-pouted.

"I want the key lime pie one," Judy announced with a laugh.

They took the freeway to the other side of town, discussing the case, the fight from the previous day, and the living arrangements with their temporary roommate. Finnick had kept his promise religiously. They were hardly aware of his presence, as he worked nights at the radio station and the officers were both gone during the day. Judy had worried it would represent a strain on their personal life but it really hadn't. Stress from work had made more of an impact, but she felt like maybe that would be calming down too, with Tora at least temporarily placated.

As they took surface streets on the way to see Duke at the bakery, and had just stopped at a traffic light, they heard a loud thump behind them. They were then jarred forward hard by a heavy thud from behind. Judy shook her head as she tried to figure out what just happened.

"You alright?" Nick grumbled, rubbing his own neck. He appeared kind of stunned as well.

"Yeah," Judy sighed. She picked up the radio and stated clearly, "Baker 914 to dispatch… we have an officer-involved 10-50 at the corner of Catamount and Pine." Great. A car accident. Just the perfect way to start a new case.

Nick and Judy got out of the vehicle to check on the other driver. It appeared immediately that the driver who hit them had been hit from behind as well. There was moderate damage to the back of Nick and Judy's police cruiser, but the whole trunk of the smaller vehicle just behind them was in its back seat. An opossum was in the driver's seat with her head on her steering wheel, eyes open, tongue out.

"Errr…" Nick recoiled at the scene. Judy pulled the driver's side door open and put her fingertips up to the lady marsupial's neck. Her pulse was slow, but strong.

"She's doin' the thing," Judy explained to her worried partner. She looked back at the vehicle that had hit the middle one, a small, beat up pick-up truck that reminded her of her dad's old vehicle.

"Okay, I'll check on the other – hey!" His sudden shout got Judy's attention as a tall, lanky hare which had emerged from the other car with a bloody nose suddenly turned and bolted.

"Baker 914 to Dispatch, 10-98! Subject fleeing scene of accident!" Nick was off like a shot, but Judy didn't want to leave the opossum, even though she was likely fine. No one who was possibly injured should ever be left alone. While Nick chasing a suspect without her made Judy nervous, she stayed with the victim. She assisted her partner by radioing the details of the suspect and the last known location so another officer could help him if the chase lasted a while. The doe put out cones behind the back car to prevent additional accidents, but the road they were on was not terribly busy. She also called for an ambulance as a precaution.

"Whuuu?" A groggy sound from the opossum took Judy's focus again.

"It's alright, stay still. You were hit from behind by another driver," Judy explained.

"What? Noooo… My car…" she whimpered, glancing at her rear view mirror and seeing metal and glass behind her.

"How are you feeling? What hurts?"

"My neck and my back. My leg too. Ow!" She pulled it up a little. The marsupial driver likely braced herself when she got hit from behind, and jammed her leg when her car hit the patrol car.

"Help's on the way. It'll be okay." Judy used the flashlight on her phone to check the opossum's eyes. They were really, really dark so it was hard to really measure their reaction.

"Too bright," she complained, turning away. "What about the other driver? Are they… what happened?"

"They ran from the scene. My partner's chasing them now." Judy felt bad having to tell her that, but it at least informed her that no one else was injured.

"Your part – oh! I… Gosh I didn't even realize you were… Oh but I hit your car. Of course. I am so sorry." She started to become a bit more animated, the effects of her natural response to a threat wearing off.

"Sorry, yes. I'm officer Judy Wilde, ZPD. I was driving the car in front, but don't worry about that. It's not your fault."

"Judy… Wilde?" asked the marsupial.

"Yes. Try not to move too much."

"So it's true what the … what the article said in Headtiltz… You married that fox? The one you saved?" Judy tensed up, but then sighed. It kept her talking and she needed to focus on something other than her suffering. It was good to use general conversation to keep accident victims calm but alert. Still, she wished the article hadn't been in Headtiltz. That was a rag mostly known for obviously fake celebrity rumors, laughable conspiracies, and in general, really weird news.

"Yep. Been for a while now," she explained. It hadn't been that long, of course, but she wanted to pass it off as old news and not sensationalize it.

"My mom was so happy the day you found him. I'm happy for you. He seems really nice." She put her head back against the seat and sighed. "It's hot."

"Yeah, I think your air conditioner's busted. Probably when you hit the back of the cruiser," Judy explained. She wouldn't have to stay there long. The bunny could already hear the sirens of the ambulance.

"Huh? No, I mean it's hot… Like… Bunny and fox. That's… Well I guess that's personal… but I sure don't feel sorry for you." She chuckled at that and winced. Judy blushed and laughed nervously back at her. Okay, now the ambulance could hurry up.

"Baker 914 to Dispatch, Suspect in custody," came Nick's first radio contact since the chase began. Judy visibly deflated slightly with tension. She worried for him. That was natural.

"Is that our suspect?" responded the marsupial accident victim.

"That would be him, yes!" Judy chimed.

"Good. Why'd he hit me?" she asked.

"Don't know yet, but we'll find out," answered the bunny calmly.

"Your partner is fast. That guy didn't get far, huh?" She closed her eyes and sighed again. Judy gave her shoulder a shake.

"You need to stay awake until the medics get here. They might have questions about what hurts and all that and you need to be able to answer them." There was a little radio traffic as Nick provided a pick-up location for their suspect. They'd made it about six blocks. Judy then pinched the bridge of her nose. Their car was going to have to be taken out of service for repairs. That was going to be a huge inconvenience.

The medics got there as she moved over to examine the damage. It wasn't so bad that it was unable to be driven, but it certainly wasn't attractive.

Judy took pictures of the scene, the damage, both cars, and then examined the vehicle that the hare had been driving. It became immediately obvious why he ran. The steering column was torn apart and a screwdriver was jammed into it. The car was stolen. What rotten luck the buck had to have rear-ended a vehicle in front of cops. As a goat and cougar paramedic took care of the lady opossum, another police vehicle showed up, driven by officer Wolfard. Nick hopped out and made a beeline for Judy.

"She gonna be alright?" he huffed, still lightly panting.

"I think so, yes. She should go to the hospital though because I think she jammed her leg pretty hard and her back is hurting." The bunny pointed over to the glum-looking hare in the back of Wolfard's cruiser. "That guy's having a worse day, I think."

"How so?" Nick asked. Judy pointed inside the vehicle he'd been driving. Nick whistled.

"There's some musk that won't wash off," he groaned. "That explains why he made with the fleet feet." Judy nodded and walked with her partner back to the opossum. She was being secured to a back-board and fitted with a neck brace. It was likely precautionary, but Judy felt bad seeing her like that. She was certainly not having a great day.

"Wolfard went ahead and called a wrecker for our cruiser too. I told him it was drivable, but he said that it was an image thing."

"Yeah, we don't drive wrecked vehicles. So what are we supposed to do? The joke-mobile is fine for parking duty but we can't cruise around town in that thing." This was the immediate problem. The cruiser they were using was custom made. No other mammals on the force were their size, and even to use a larger cruiser, modifications had to be made. They might be stuck doing traffic duty because they just didn't have a way to get around.

"I guess we call it in," sighed Nick.

Judy called dispatch on her cell phone. She was encouraged when Clawhauser picked up. He'd just been running late, perhaps. Though, with what they now knew, he might have just been resting from the unplanned exercise.

"Having fun out there?" chimed the bubbly cheetah. At least he didn't sound like he was suffering too badly.

"We are now without a cruiser, so… no," Judy explained.

"I just spoke with the Chief. She cleared you for use of Zuber on the Staff Account." Judy arched a brow. That was actually very surprising. That was generally reserved for use by more important mammals visiting from outside the city.

"That… That's good to know. Tell the Chief thank you." Judy glanced at Nick who looked just as surprised.

"She said this is only temporary, and since you got a promotion you should get your own car already." The cheetah laughed at that. Nick laughed as well. The hint was taken. They got the use of the Zuber because they didn't have their own car, otherwise they would be driving that as they investigated the cheese case.

"So… I heard you've been chasing other rabbits," Judy teased.

"If you can call it that," Nick laughed. "I think if any mammal other than a fox were chasing him, he'd have just followed officer commands and stopped. Because it was me, and he was a bit shaken up in the crash, he went full survival mode and burned the wick at both ends to get away. He made it down to Arbordale and jumped into a pickup truck without checking to see if anyone was actually in it. The driver was making a paper delivery at the copy place there," Nick explained. "When he realized he wasn't going anywhere, I was already pulling him out of the back of the truck."

"You shoulda said 'Munch'." Judy smirked.

Nick gasped. "Opportunity missed," he sighed.

Once they were done writing up the accident and getting the scene cleared, the fox and bunny did what had been offered. They called a Zuber and in mere minutes, a very excited wolf pulled up to retrieve them. They could not discuss the case in front of this canid, so he eagerly filled the silence with all kinds of questions about police work, even prying a little where it came to the interior. The officers were still unable to discuss that case. Fortunately, this curious wolf had no questions where it came to their relationship, so perhaps that knowledge was not terribly big news.

It was turning out that Skye and Jack taking all the media attention spared the other fox and bunny couple a lot of the undue scrutiny that they might otherwise be subjected to. This was their biggest worry as they found themselves in such a relationship in the first place. As they arrived at the bakery, they still tipped the driver even though he'd been paid by the staff account. This delighted the wolf and he rushed off to his next fare.

Nick approached the counter as his mother entered from the kitchen in the back. She beamed happily, as she always did seeing her son in uniform.

"I'll get your tarts, one moment!" she said sweetly.

"Thank you. Is Duke in?" asked the fox officer.

"He's in the back. Duke!" called Viv. The weasel came scurrying to the front, lightly covered in flour. He sneered playfully at Nick.

"Oh great. Now there's more foxes." They antagonized eachother pretty constantly, but it was good-humored so Judy never intervened.

"What were you doing all alone in the back with my mom, Duke?" interrogated Nick accusingly. Vivienne snickered as the mustelid's already huge eyes went larger.

"What _wasn't_ he doing!" Vivienne played along. Judy pulled her ears back. That sounded like such a wrong thing to joke about, but both foxes laughed at the weasel's shocked expression.

"How dare you!" Nick cried.

"Har har," quipped Duke. "Whaddaya need, Wilde?" He crossed his arms, smirking.

"I need to get my paws on illicit cheese products," Nick stated calmly. "Where would I go to find that?"

"He's out of that, Nicholas," Vivienne very clearly defended, "Why are you asking him?"

"He's out now, but this would have started back when he was still in the game," the male fox clarified. Duke looked immediately uncomfortable.

"I don't… I don't like talking about that stuff I did back then in front of Viv, Nick." He seemed crestfallen. Judy immediately felt terrible for it. He was trying to rise above all that. He was doing a great job leaving that life behind. While they needed help, did they really need it so bad that it was okay to drag Duke back through his mistakes? Judy certainly didn't force Nick to talk about all his past cons and indiscretions.

Vivienne spoke reassuringly. "It's alright, Duke. I know all about that stuff, and I know you got past it. It won't affect my faith in you." She gave Nick and Judy their offered treats and continued, "Besides, you know full well Nick was in it pretty deep before he went straight too. No one's judging you."

Duke shook his little head. "No, it ain't just about that. If folks I used t' deal with thought I was makin' problems for 'em with the cops, they might make trouble here at the shop. If it was just me, I wouldn't care so much, but… I don't want nothin' bad happening to you, Viv. Not because of that. Not when I left it behind." He seemed very tense.

"Well, I can't argue with that logic at all," Nick said. His expression told Judy that he felt like a heel for asking him as well.

"Well, so…" Vivienne leaned in, "Do you maybe know of anyone who might be good to talk to that would not implicate you?" Duke rubbed his chin, thinking about it.

"Well, I do, and he ain't about to make no trouble for you, but I doubt he's gonna talk to Wilde." He indicated Nick. "They ain't friends."

"Would he be willing to talk to me?" Judy inquired.

"He's terrified of you," Duke responded. Judy immediately knew who he was talking about.

"Mike." Nick crossed his arms, leaning back a bit.

Duke sighed at how quickly it was correctly guessed. "Yeah. He does deliveries sometimes for us, local-like. Honest money for him. Your ma's tryin' t' get him straight. Rudy too. Rudy actually works the counter here part time. Customers like him 'cause he jokes around a lot."

"I'm actually really happy to hear that. Means we have to arrest them less frequently," Nick laughed. "So… If I were to talk to Mike, I won't mention that you said anything, but do you feel there is a strong reason to expect he might know something about this particular product?" The weasel glanced up to Vivienne, and she nodded, making it clear that she was okay with involving him.

"He's trying to do better, I don't want to set him back and make him think it ain't worth it," Duke stated. "Getting out of that mess is worth it."

"We won't arrest him unless we find him clearly doing something illegal, Duke. You know how the game works," Nick stated.

"He knows somethin' about it. He can answer at least some kinda questions you got for him, if not even give you names and places. He knows something," Duke volunteered.

"That helps a bunch. You wouldn't happen to know where he's hanging out these days, would you?" Judy asked.

"No, not really. He was stayin' at a motel, The Willow Bough this side of the Tundra Town wall, but I don't know if he's still there. I really don't know more than that. I never got directly involved in the thing you're talking about."

Nick answered honestly, "Thank you, little brother,"

"I'm still older than you, Wilde!" Duke fired back.

"But your so widdle!" the fox made a tickling gesture at the weasel, who hopped down from the stool and put some distance between them. Judy and Vivienne laughed heartily at that. Once her partner was done with the prerequisite teasing of the former bootlegger, the fox and bunny officers headed out.

They took another Zuber to the motel that Duke had mentioned, but the skunk who ran the place was extremely cagey and would not commit to knowledge of any coyotes that might have been staying there. That was actually kind of expected. Establishments like this one made most of their money off of being able to charge more for anonymity.

As they got no cooperation, Nick and Judy took a table at the little diner across the street from it and sipped coffee for two hours before having lunch, then staying another hour past that just to watch and see if a familiar coyote came or went. This never occurred, so they ended the impromptu stakeout and headed back to the precinct to check up on their vehicle.

They were happy to find that it would not be out of commission for more than three or four days at worst. They just needed to replace the hatch and bumper. No damage had been done to the actual frame. They worked the accident report, and checked up on their suspect who had warrants for felony theft by taking, petty larceny, violating probation on a failure to appear, and vandalism. He claimed to be unaware that the car was stolen, and only ran due to the warrants, but being the driver of a stolen car was not an easy hole to get out of. He could say it was lent to him by a friend all he wanted, but so long as he was unwilling to provide the actual friend for questioning, it was irreversibly his charge. He also got a felony charge for leaving the scene of an accident with injuries.

The opossum would likely need physical therapy and pain medication for a while, but would otherwise be fine, they found. Her vehicle was totaled, which was not so fine.

Nick and Judy worked the rest of the day getting their required hours of parking duty out of the way since they could only otherwise patrol on foot. This let them at least have access to the joke-mobile. Increasing clouds in city center made it feel pleasantly cooler, and a breeze went a long way to help their mood.

They finished out their shift and headed back to their apartment. Even with access to the cruiser, they preferred to just take the bus, so they commuted back as they usually did.

"Not a bad first day doing real detective work. We will figure out where that coyote is tomorrow," Judy reassured her quiet partner. He was obviously thinking very hard about other contacts he might have from his less honest days that might shed light on the missing canid.

Nick perked up visibly as they got onto the elevator. "Oh, we will. I think I know someone who might be able to get in contact with him. I will try him tomorrow though. No sense trying this late, he'd be working." Maybe he wasn't feeling down about not finding Mike after all. It could be he was just tired. Judy found herself hyper-sensitive to how her partner was doing some days. She wanted him to be happy all the time and it was unrealistic to assume he'd never have a reason other than her to not be.

"Good. Good, we will get on that first thing tomorrow. For tonight, at least we get to sleep not wondering if Tora's gonna reassign us."

"Right. Yes. I had almost forgot. You shot the chief. In front of everybody. I did not… sleep… well." Nick measured out his words to apply gravity to them.

"It worked out though. Not even sorry," Judy stated.

"Hi Nick," Sam stated as the pair arrived at the door to their apartment.

"Hey, Sam," Nick replied, opening the door and letting the little fox kit in. Judy just stood there, stunned.

What?

"Wait…" Nick's brain seemed to catch up as the smaller vulpine wandered on into the apartment.

"Sam?" murmured Judy. "Did you -?"

"No," Nick slightly whined, staring in alarm at his wife. "Did you?" The full question was obvious. As was the answer. Neither fox nor bunny were aware of his arrival.

"'Scuse me," He closed the door to the bathroom. He likely had been standing there a while.

"Why are you here in my apartment, Sam?" pushed Nick, which was fair.

"I took the train out," he stated.

"Does your mom know you're here?" pressed the fox officer, a tone of serious concern in his voice. Judy put her paws out expectantly. How did the little fox even know where they lived?

"No, could you call her and let her know I'm here safely?" he requested.

"Are you supposed to be here?" inquired Nick, his voice cracking with alarm.

"My mom said it was okay," Sam replied, "And you said I could visit you if I wanted." Judy flailed silently at her husband as the little fox washed his paws in the bathroom.

"I… I mean you needed to ask… We have to… Sam, you can't just… show up!" Nick pulled his ears back. Judy stared hard at the bathroom door. Were things really so laid back in that fox-populated town that the fox kit was allowed to just travel unaccompanied? At his age it wasn't illegal, but it certainly wasn't free of risk.

"It's too late to get another train back out there," the little fox said. "I promise I won't bug you guys. Thanks for letting me stay here, Nick!" His tone was so self-assured and friendly. Did he have any idea how alarming it was to just find him standing there?

"I… I guess I'll call your mom and let her know you're here safely…" Nick looked like he was waiting for the boat he was in to sink.

"Uh… Nick? We can't just…" Judy was trying hard to get her head around this unexpected addition to their apartment. First Finnick, now a little fox kit. Did this kind of thing ever happen to Nick before?

"I know. I'll call my mom in the morning. She can probably help out. I hope." Nick rubbed an ear thoughtfully. "I guess he's on the couch for tonight though."

"Are you hungry?" Judy offered, switching over to 'care for kits' mode. She'd done that plenty growing up.

"You bet!" called the young vulpine as he came back out of the bathroom. "Do you guys have any cheese?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**

 _I wanted to take a moment to reassure my readers that my health issues last month were in no way caused by my writing Guardian Blue. After all, leading up to it, I barely had time to write at all, and what little time I had I was too exhausted to actually write. If I am writing, and you are reading this, it's a GOOD thing. It means I am being given time to do the thing that brings me happiness! With that said, I am enjoying the chance to really do more writing, as I have a new room mate who helps run interference a little to give me time to write as well!_

 _ **If you are just joining Guardian Blue for the first time,**_ _you will want to check out Season 1 and 2 first, and I would highly recommend Thanks for the Fox even before that as well so everything makes sense. ^^ Duke of Absolution will likely also be needed. This story is getting big._

 _Zootopia is property of Disney. Most of these characters are also property of Disney. Motti is mine. Disney can pry her from my cold dead hands. ._

 _Also! Another HUGE shout-out to J. N. Squire for assisting with editing for Season 3. Also, I would like to extend a special thank you to a few others who are helping me to keep updating and keep the quality high even with my busy schedule, and my friend Alex who helps me greatly with beta-reading! I will be doing something special to recognize them soon!_

 **Guardian Blue: Season Three**

 _Episode 6: Kit_

Judy held her phone inches from her beloved vulpine's nose, muscles tense in frustration as he read the email, seated at the dining room table, still in his uniform. She had replied to the email that her friend had written the previous night and asked how she enjoyed New Reynard. The answer she almost immediately got was mostly positive, but she was informed that there was a 'funny' incident regarding a fox kit. From New Reynard.

That fox kit was now sitting in their living room, munching on some cheese cubes and sipping lime soda.

"He… He what – He went to Bunnyburrow?" Nick asked, trying to put it together. Judy had been so happy about half an hour ago when she got the email. Her friendship with Sharla was not unsalvageable. That was important. Sharla made friends with Honey, it seemed. She got her brother back. She was cooperating with Pawlander. Everything was nice. Then this. This was absolutely alarming!

"He went there to _GET_ Sharla!" Judy hissed in exasperation. "You called his mother already, right? Did she tell you where he was supposed to be?"

"Here. She only said he was supposed to visit me." Nick stood up slowly. "And, she was _unaware_ that I didn't know anything about it. So, our little foxy friend in there has not been especially honest with us. I covered for him and let her think I was already aware but in light of the email you have shown me… that would appear to have been in error."

"What do we do about that? We aren't his parents," informed Judy. "But we can't just… let that go, and we have work tomorrow. I don't want to drop this problem onto mom, she doesn't deserve that." Judy had become perfectly comfortable with calling Vivienne mom, and the older vixen was delighted by that.

"Wait, you mean _Sam_ doesn't deserve being handed over to my _mother_ after that, don't you?" Nick laughed at the thought.

"Nick, this is serious! He basically ran away! For a getting!" Judy watched her calm partner read the email further.

"Minstrels. He hired minstrels. That's actually pretty good." Nick slowly nodded.

"Nick!" snapped Judy.

"What, it's probably like… his first getting. That's pretty good for a first getting. It shows measured consideration for the one who's earned it."

"He travelled hundreds of miles by himself and lied to his mother about what he was doing!" the bunny hissed, trying to keep her voice down. She certainly didn't want to startle the little fox kit, but this was every possible color of unacceptable behavior. Surely her husband saw that!

"So, let's talk to him." Nick left his paws limply by his sides, as if just… not anxious at all. How could he be so calm? Judy's mind spun rapidly. Were they culpable for anything here? Could they be in trouble harboring a fox kit who might be implicated in wrongdoing if he'd only just arrived at their apartment when it was already done?

"Should we call his mom back?" Judy whispered.

"No, if that was going to discourage him he'd not have done this in the first place," the fox stated casually.

"His dad then?" pressed Judy.

"I've never met his dad. And neither has he," Nick replied without any obvious emotion. Judy covered her muzzle. Oh. Did she even want to know more about that? It wasn't really her business. "Don't worry, I'll talk to him. You don't have to say anything. I'm his cousin, remember? I'm family."

"Still, he's not… he's not technically our responsibility. I don't want to ruffle his mom's fluff either." Judy knew how _her_ mom would feel if she had been dressed down without her parents even being informed what was going on.

"He's in my home, he's staying the night. I'm in charge," Nick stated. Judy's ears perked up. Nick liked to defer the whole 'responsibility' thing generally, but for some reason, in _this_ case, he was really adamant about taking the bull by the horns. It was pretty surprising.

She followed her fox out into the living room. Sam was on the couch, sitting with his legs crossed, blue eyes locked on the TV. There was a cartoon on that Judy couldn't even place. It was something on Howlu. Nick picked up the remote and switched off the television.

"Huh? Oh… Wait, it can't be bed time yet…" Sam blinked blankly at the screen.

"Wanna tell me why you really came out here, Sam?" asked the fox.

"Huh? I… Uh…" His eyes darted back and forth to the fox and bunny, perhaps trying to determine what they might know. Judy drummed her foot nervously. This was uncomfortable. She just didn't know this fox well. He was friendly and fun, but he'd definitely taken this too far.

"The sheep, Sam." Nick didn't let him come up with another excuse.

"Oh." He suddenly looked like he was going to return the cheese.

"What, specifically, did you tell your mom you were going to do?" inquired the older fox.

"Visit you and Judy," he said sullenly.

"And?" Nick pressed back.

"That's all I said."

"Who bought the ticket?" the vulpine officer asked. Judy reflected a moment on the fact that him being in uniform might be a lot scarier to the kit. She hoped this wasn't going to traumatize him.

"I did. With money I saved from helping out in the diner." He stared at his little feet.

"Obviously your mother would not have let you go if she knew you were going there for a getting," Nick explained. "So, you told her you were coming to visit me. What can you tell me about the sheep you tried to embarrass?"

"She insulted," he started.

Nick cut him off, "I know that part. I mean, what can you tell me about _her_?"

Sam seemed taken aback by that. He paused for a brief moment then spoke. "Uh… She said she knew Judy… like from way back… She was there to get help with a problem from Honey. Motti went with her. Motti punched her in the face. She's my favorite now that Aunt Vivienne's gone."

"Oh God," Judy covered her muzzle. Sharla got punched in the face by Motti? _What?!_

"I… Wh… Okay, I'll… Hold on…" Nick covered his eyes a moment, taking a breath. Yeah. It was a lot to process, fox - you wanted this, Judy thought. After getting himself back on the rails, her husband continued. "I mean, who _is_ Sharla? Aside from what she did to 'offend' you, what was going on with her?"

"I don't know. She was…" The little fox reflected a moment. "I don't know, I guess."

Nick sighed slowly. "Sam, Sharla the sheep was there because her brother was _missing_ , and she presumed he'd _died_." The kit's eyes went very wide and he appeared even more ill.

"I… I didn't know about that," he stated.

"You can't just…" Nick snapped his fingers to get Sam's attention, as he'd looked away, obviously ashamed. "You can't just proceed with a getting if you don't know _anything_ about the mammal that you intend to get."

Judy's ears fell back hard. Wait. _That_ was the takeaway here? _She_ would not have even discussed the nature of the getting! There were so many other things wrong with what this kit had done! She clenched her teeth.

"I just… It wasn't like I was _mean_ or anything. It was meant to be a funny getting. They're supposed to be right?" The little fox appeared to understand, at least, that he was in trouble for his actions. Judy sat down across from him in a dining room chair she'd brought into the room with her.

"Sam, do you understand why … we even have 'gettings'?" the older fox posed carefully.

Judy quickly focused her attention hard. How had she never even _asked_ that? Originally, when it happened to her, she had sort of assumed that the 'getting' thing was just a family tradition for Nick, but over time she understood this was a wider cultural fixture. She had not once considered asking _how_ it became a thing in the first place. The bunny suddenly had so many questions that she had not pondered before that she was sure she should have. How long had that been a thing? When did it start? Why was it important enough for there to be _tokens_ that one could _purchase_? What were the specific rules? She was in a fox family now, it was important to know these things, wasn't it?

Sam shrugged lightly. "I mean, I guess so. It's how we make us even when someone does something bad to us… but not so bad that they gotta go to jail."

"Not… exactly." Nick sat beside the little vulpine. Seeing him there looking very much like the kit's father squeezed Judy's heart in an alarmingly warm way. He was good with kits when they did school events. She knew that already, but seeing him there helping a little fox kit was pushing her maternal instincts hard, and she was thoroughly aware of that. Her husband spoke carefully in a soft tone, "See… a long time ago, the world was way more hostile. Settling differences and squaring injustices usually meant someone was leaving with some kind of damage. That was just how it was done then. When society stopped tolerating those things, it meant that everyone had to find a better way to cope."

"But no one got hurt, Nick!" expressed the kit in sudden anxiousness.

"I know, and I'm not saying they did, but listen first, then we will talk about it." He was more firm in his instruction there and Sam nodded to imply he would let Nick talk. "I'm not going to pretend that the world has been _completely_ fair with foxes. You are old enough that you know better. And it wasn't right that it _was_ that way… but because of how it was, we had a very different problem once society truly demanded civility among mammals. If foxes got into a fight, chances were… both foxes got in trouble. Be it in school, at work, out in a field someplace, it didn't matter. Violent fox? Problem for everyone. Follow me so far?"

Judy nodded, even though this wasn't addressed at her. It irritated her, but Nick was right. She clearly remembered the discussion over the holiday in Bunnyburrow with Gideon's family. Foxes got in trouble to an unfair degree, even during her childhood. This was _not_ ancient history.

"Yeah, I know," Sam murmured unhappily.

"But… what _positive_ thing are foxes known for, and have been throughout history, Sam?" Nick asked. Judy smiled. He was trying not to let the little kit sink into a funk.

"Archery?" qualified Sam.

"Nope… even a jerk can fire an arrow. Think more … attitude." Nick was calm and patient. That helped Judy more than the kit perhaps.

"We're… We're clever?" suggested the kit. He perked up some. "We're sharp and quick-witted." He sounded more proud there and that lifted the bunny's spirits.

"Right, so… some clever young foxes, who were clever even for foxes, made a rule in their town about a hundred years ago. If someone wronged you, you could prank them, so long as the prank didn't cause permanent harm or hardship," Nick explained.

Sam stood up on the couch, facing Nick beside him. "But my prank didn't! It was funny. It was supposed to be funny, I mean," he explained, wilting as he considered, perhaps, that Sharla was in serious distress.

"I know. Sit, sit." Nick patted the seat. Sam plopped down, frowning. He knew he did the wrong thing, but perhaps did not agree that _this_ was the wrong part of it. Would Nick bring up the other stuff too? Judy actually found herself keenly interested in how her partner handled this kind of family engagement. "So, the reason for deciding that _pranks_ was the way to go was pretty smart, not just silly and funny," her fox explained. "See… you don't prank someone right when they do something wrong, do you?"

"No." answered the kit.

"Why not?" Nick inquired.

"We gotta try to come up with a good prank, I guess. That takes planning." He continued to gaze at his feet.

"Were you angry when Sharla upset you back in New Reynard?" asked Nick.

"I was… I can't even… I _hated_ her for it!" he spat. "Why do other mammals even _do_ that? Why can't foxes even _have_ a hero?" Judy's heart plunged. He… He really thought foxes weren't _allowed_ to have a hero? She immediately remembered how upset Skye had been when Jack suggested he was a villain instead. Sam's reaction really helped her understand how deep-rooted the unhappiness about that really was. It really _did_ seem patently unfair.

"How did _you_ feel when you were getting her?" Nick examined.

"It felt great! It was so much fun!" chimed the smaller vulpine. Judy winced at how painfully cute he was when he was excited.

"Right… but were you still mad?" asked his cousin.

"I… I mean… I dunno." the kit appeared to really thing about that. "Not really. Not as much…" He considered that, little pointy fox nose down again. "Not like I was when it happened."

"See, Sam… the purpose of the getting is not to get even. It's to temper our response," Nick explained carefully. "It lets us really _think_ about what was done for you, and what level of action is really _appropriate_ for it. It's removed the need for an immediate emotional response… especially given that our tempers cool as we realize that the trespass was unintended, right?"

Sam glanced up at Nick, then looked back down and nodded slowly. "I guess so, yeah. I didn't feel anywhere near as mad by then."

"How do you feel about Sharla now?" Nick further inquired.

"I dunno. She's okay I guess. She didn't get mad, I don't think."

"Do you hate her?" queried the larger fox.

"No," Sam answered honestly.

Nick smiled back at the kit. "Exactly, and the purpose is, in part, to _stop hate_. We get enough of that from mammals who should definitely know better. We don't need to make things worse by hating ourselves. A getting is not about getting _even_. It's about staying _civil_ and keeping the peace. The first 'getting' happened right there in New Reynard, more than a century ago, and it's been a part of that town, and all who have spread out from there, ever since. It's a proud tradition, not merely fox-mischief. We should treat it with serious respect because it's why that town, of all towns, has both the highest number of foxes and the lowest violent crime rate of _any_ other established town. We are _proud_ of our little corner of the world, and we have to do the right thing to stay proud of it."

"Did I… I mean, I followed the rules though. No permanent harm or hardship." Sam nodded with self-assurance.

"You _did_ risk permanent harm or hardship, though, Sam. Even the _risk_ is unacceptable." Nick crossed his arms sternly.

"How was that risky? We just sang silly songs to a sheep in a safe public area." Judy was trying to follow along as well. It seemed harmless enough.

"You didn't risk Sharla, Sam. You risked _yourself_. You risked your family and your friends. You lied to your mother, and if something happened… an accident or _worse_ , she'd have had no idea where to even start looking for you." Judy straightened up. There. There it was. He… He really was thinking all this out. Of course he was. He saw this the same way but he had to explain it in a way that made sense to Sam.

"Oh…" The fox sank slightly on the couch again. "I mean… I was okay. I know how to take a train. Mom knew I was coming out to see you, and that's safe. It was just… a little extra travel to Bunnyburrow and back, and I was safe. I had my mom's old flip-phone too."

Nick nodded and continued, "Yeah, and there's a dead zone fifty miles wide between Zootopia and Bunnyburrow going through the hills. You could slip and hit your head, or a rhino could trip and fall on you… It's not about bad people doing bad things, Sam. It's about bad things happening to a good fox that a lot of mammals love." Judy stifled a squeak. Ow.

"I… I'm sorry… I didn't think about that stuff. I wasn't trying to make things hard on anyone." He appeared so crestfallen.

Nick resumed, pulling the little kit into a heart-melting hug. "I know it seems like you have to be a grownup _all_ the time, Sam. You help your mom and you help the diner, and you get paid and you get to do stuff… stuff your classmates don't ever have to do… but you _aren't_ a grownup yet. And you _don't_ get to go back and be a kit later. Ask Judy, I try!" He gave a toothy grin to the bunny as she rolled her eyes, more to keep from crying.

"I don't hate being a grownup, Nick. I know it helps my mom a bunch. Her hours are tough, and I feel like she could have a lot more if I weren't…" Judy winced.

"Don't even _think_ like that, Sam," Nick immediately warned in a deeper tone.

"I don't _hate_ myself or nothin'," Sam said quickly, clarifying. "I just… I know she's tired… and needs help. But I feel like if I can just… make it so she knows she doesn't gotta worry about me, she'll be proud of me for it and…" He faltered a bit, obviously unsure how to convey himself. He seemed frustrated, not sad.

Nick gave the smaller fox another squeeze. "Sam, she _is_ proud of you. The entire town knows it. You don't have to protect her from being a mom. Looking at you, as you are right now, tells me she's a _great_ mom. Even if you think you're doing it for a good reason, dishonesty is a _very_ slippery slope, Sam. I was a little younger than you when I started telling my mom little lies… and I even did it for exactly the same reason."

Judy widened her eyes, stunned a moment about the turn this took. Nick's experience with his own mother and being dishonest was a very deeply personal and serious matter to her husband. Judy had no idea how relevant this discussion with the smaller fox kit would become.

He continued, "Things were not great for me back then, and I didn't _want_ her to worry about me all the time because I thought she'd be _unhappy_. So… I told her things were great, and I knew she could _tell_ they weren't. I'd get picked on, and I'd hide it. I'd do something wrong and cover it up. It wasn't to hurt her. I thought I was protecting her. I trusted my mom, but I didn't give her that trust back… and I hurt her far, _far_ worse than I ever would have if I'd been honest." Sam frowned and looked back down at his little paws shamefully.

"It wasn't a big lie. I was still coming here," he sniffled.

"And if you had never made it here…? That 'not a big lie' would never have mattered. It's too much risk for something like… getting a sheep for offending your cultural identity, Sam." Judy nodded at Nick's assessment.

"Are you gonna tell my mom?" he asked fearfully.

"No. You are. In the morning. However, I want you to have a chance to really think about why it matters that you _do_ tell her. And the _promise_ you need to make if you expect to _ever_ be treated like a grownup and come visit me and Judy again." Nick got up and stretched, still appearing perfectly calm, but Judy could tell that was tough for him. "For the moment, I am gonna get washed up and we can watch a movie together or something, how does that sound?" Judy nodded at Nick. Yes, that would be good. That had been pretty heavy for a kit. They could reassure him it would be alright.

And then suddenly Judy was in the living room alone with Sam the fox kit. He glanced fearfully up at her. Every other time she'd seen those blue eyes, they were bright with curiosity and confidence. He never looked like that. She considered how worried he must have been, and might still be, since he'd been caught.

"We really do care about you, Sam. We don't want anything bad to happen to you, and it can happen so fast!" Judy wanted to drive the point home that it wasn't just 'kick around the fox kit hour'.

"I guess this… 'getting' stuff probably seems pretty dumb to a bunny," he offered. Judy got up and moved over to the shelf that held pictures of both her and Nick at their respective police academy graduations. She picked up a little velvet pouch from there and took it back to Sam, sitting close beside him. He peered back at her with obvious worry.

"No, I don't think it's silly. See, _I've_ been gotten before, and I've gotten Nick too." She held up the coin from inside the pouch. Sam immediately brightened up. He held the heavy coin in his paws. Were they all the same, or were there deluxe coins? He seemed pretty impressed.

"How did you get Nick?" whispered the kit scandalously.

"I… I uh…" She immediately regretted bringing that up. "Well, I ate part of a sandwich, and made his friend think he did it, and she made him buy her another one."

Sam stared at Judy blankly.

"It's more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it," explained the bunny with a hopeful grin. Let it go, little fox. Don't ask more questions, innocent and adorable kit.

"Mine was way better, I think. But I guess if you grow up around it…" he offered.

"Absolutely," Judy agreed, stowing her coin and putting it away.

"Are you mad at me?" he pressed sadly as she came back. She sat back down beside him, heart aching from such a question.

"I'm worried about you, Sam, but I'm not mad at you. You really didn't think about what could happen, and that was careless… but I don't think you were intentionally doing anything you knew would hurt anyone. That _would_ make me mad. Can you learn from this? Can you think about your mom and your friends and family before trying anything that might be dangerous?" Sam nodded emphatically.

"Yeah. I promise. And… I'm sorry. For… you know… crashin' in on your guys like this. I know you didn't ask for it. Nick said it was okay for me to visit any time I wanted, and I was sure he wouldn't mind. I should have just taken the train back home. I wanted to see you two again though. Nick's a bunch of fun and you're really neat."

"Thank you, Sam. Nick and I think you're pretty neat too. And you _are_ welcome to visit us. We like seeing you, but we need a little warning first, as we might be involved in a really big case and that would make it so we were hardly at home to enjoy spending any time with you at all. As it is, you might be going to spend some time with Aunt Vivienne tomorrow. We're involved in a case right now."

"Wow! What kind of case?" He was immediately sitting up and attentive.

"We can't discuss _active_ cases, Sam," explained Judy. "It involves lies and unlicensed and unsafe food production."

"Huh… That sounds… really boring." His ears went back. It was an accurate statement. Not all police work was chases and life-threatening misadventure.

"It can be," Judy assured him. "Think about having to do police homework!" Judy pointed at the file sitting on the counter in the dining room.

"You mean it doesn't stop even when I'm done with school?!" the little kit gasped.

"Nope! Not always!" Judy laughed at his expression. He then slumped and munched on more of his cheese cubes. Judy turned on the television and let the cartoon resume as she went to the back bedroom and picked up her phone. It would be good to at least give Vivienne some ample _warning_ if she were going to possibly be looking after Sam in the morning. There was a cozy little office space above the bakery she could host him in since a weasel would not be sleeping in it right then, and given how the kit liked to help at the diner, she might even be able to make some use of him.

The phone rang a few times, and a giggling Vivienne finally picked up. "Hi Judy!" she chimed.

"Sounds like you're having fun!" the doe replied, ears high.

"Timothy's here givin' Rudy and Duke a hard time. He's such a cub." The bunny perked up at that and held the phone closer to her head. Wolfard hanging out at the bakery wasn't a surprise, he got along well with the lady fox, but the other part of that was relevant to the bunny's interests.

"Can I talk with Rudy a sec?" she asked hastily. Her conversation about the kit could wait a moment.

"Sure, dear, one moment," Viv replied kindly.

A few seconds later, a raspy feline voice responded. "Hey bunny-cop! Flatten any 'yotes recently?" He cackled in his usual good-humored fashion.

"Actually, the 'yote is what I wanted to talk to you about," she replied.

"Uh-oh…" came the bobcat's reply.

"Oh, he's not in trouble, but he might be able to help with some information for a case that Nick and I are working," Judy explained.

"Oh… well, I ain't exactly sure where he's hangin' out now. He was helping with deliveries for a bit, but he skipped town from what I can tell. I don't know where he's at. He didn't even say g'bye." The cat sounded concerned. They were work associates, the bunny understood, but they might have been friends before that, she wasn't sure. He seemed to care that he wasn't told goodbye.

"If he didn't say anything, what makes you think he skipped town?" asked the bunny.

"He was roomin' with another mutual friend, and they came home and a bunch of his stuff was gone, and the coyote was out too. That's why I figure you might have whomped him again, honestly."

"Do you know if he was involved in anything that might have made him want to leave?" Judy investigated.

"Nothin' disreputable or anything, no," answered the feline with a tone of uncertainty. "I'm pretty sure he wouldn't'a told me if he was though. I'm full time at the bakery now, and I told him I didn't want in on the take for anything that might cast a shadow on Missus W's rep." Judy was immediately very proud of Rudy. While she'd never arrested him herself, she was aware that he wasn't on the best of terms with the law up until he started helping out at the bakery. That was two mammals that Vivienne helped take away from a future jail cell, it would seem.

"Well, I am really glad to hear that. And I'm happy to hear you are on full time! Are you enjoying the work?" she inquired, so as to make the conversation lighter.

"Am I ever! It means Duke can help out more in the kitchen, since he's not… you know… as personable. I'm more of a talker and that's better for the front, right?" he responded.

"If you find anything out about Mike, would you have Mom message me so we can check up on him? We need the information, but given his sudden departure, I'm kind of worried, actually," Judy instructed in a serious tone.

"Will do. Thanks, Officer Hopps," Rudy stated genuinely. "… and I ain't ever gonna get used to a bunny calling a fox 'Mom'," he laughed.

"Oh, you'll eventually get used to it," promised the doe. "Can I talk to Vivienne again real quick?" she asked.

"Sure! Here you go," he answered quickly.

"Hey, Judy! Did you get what you needed from my customer-service cat?" She obviously wanted to make it clear that he was telling the truth about that.

"What I could, yes," Judy responded, "But… I may need your help with something…"

"Sure, sweetie, anything that I can do," the vixen affirmed.

"So… Nick and I might actually need you to kit-sit for us…" Judy was cut off by a short, shrill, excited fox-scream. The bunny gasped and clarified quickly, "No-no-no! I mean, Sam! Sam showed up today unexpectedly…"

"Oh… Oh good heavens Judy," Viv practically panted, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to squeak your ear out, but don't ever lead into a statement with that!" the vixen laughed. "Why's Sam there?"

"He apparently went all the way to Bunnyburrow by himself for a getting," Judy explained.

"Wait, really? All the way there? Who'd he even get?" she asked.

"Sharla," Judy replied.

"Your fox-loathing mitten-maven?"

Judy stifled a laugh at the wording. "The very same, yes."

"How'd he get her?" inquired Vivienne.

"You can ask him all about it yourself if you don't mind taking him until about 1 tomorrow," explained Judy.

"I'd be happy to. He can work off his transgressions here with me," she promised. "He's actually helpful to have around."

"Thank you. We don't mind having him, but we have a case we're working on," the bunny expressed quietly.

"Nothing terribly dangerous, I hope," stated the fox earnestly. Judy heard the shower cut off in the bathroom. Nick was about done cleaning up. He'd set up something for them to watch together.

"No, not this time. Just an investigation. We're doing some detective work," explained Judy.

"Stil, please be careful. Both of you," Viv sighed.

"We will, I promise," Judy insisted. Vivienne had plenty of cause to worry about the pair. She was there for an attempt on their lives by a couple of hire hit-sheep.

"Thank you, Duke, put that down, you're gonna get icing on his uniform!" laughed Vivienne, "Talk to you in the morning, Judy!" She disconnected to deal with the silliness in her own life. The bunny sighed softly, smiling as she put her phone down. Vivienne was happy. It always made her feel better to talk to her fox mom.

For tonight, however, she looked forward to a quiet evening of kit's movies with two of her other favorite foxes.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:**

 _I promise, this whole season's not about Sam. We all know that "uh oh, they added a kit, there goes the story" feeling. We will soon have Sam-free chapters for our fans of the police procedural plotline! This is not that chapter. O.o_

 ** _If you are just joining Guardian Blue for the first time,_** _you will want to check out Season 1 and 2 first, and I would highly recommend Thanks for the Fox even before that as well so everything makes sense. ^^ Duke of Absolution will likely also be needed. This story is getting big._

 _Disney has their hands so full buying up properties, companies, and dreams, so I feel like they are not likely to notice all the fun I'm having with their characters and their beautiful city. Still, it does belong to them, so thanks Disney._

 _Also! Another HUGE shout-out to J. N. Squire for assisting with editing for Season 3. Also, I would like to extend a special thank you to a few others who are helping me to keep updating and keep the quality high even with my busy schedule, and my friend Alex who helps me greatly with beta-reading! I will be doing something special to recognize them soon!_

 **Guardian Blue: Season Three**

 _Episode 7: Candidate_

Judy watched the door of Vivienne's bakery. The smell was already lovely and they weren't even open yet. She had just dropped Sam off, and she and Nick were about to head back to the precinct. The doe knew that Vivienne would take the absolute best care of the little kit, but somehow, leaving him there made her anxious. She decided to keep that to herself, as Nick would latch onto that and might feel bad that the incident with Sam triggered her maternal instincts unexpectedly. Being a bunny made it so that those tendencies presented themselves often enough, even when just dealing with younger siblings or the occasional times that they had to deal with kits or cubs in their normal duties. Having Sam literally under her care was slightly different, however.

First, she got to have a sneak peek at how her mate might function as a father, and she deeply enjoyed that. Second, the one she was caring for was a _fox_ , and looked a lot like Nick anyway, so that was bound to provoke her maternal senses on its own. Finally, Sam had been absolutely worn out from his trip and he quickly fell asleep against her. Sleepy kits are shameless maternal button pushers. While their schedule made it hard to invite him over often, Judy hoped eventually to be able to take him with them on a holiday to Bunnyburrow to let him play with some of her own nieces and nephews. She was sure he'd have a lot of fun with that.

"He'll be okay," Nick stated, sitting in the back seat beside the bunny as their Zuber driver pulled out of their parking spot.

"I know. Just feels bad to kinda… dump him," Judy expressed, pulling her attention back to the car.

"Hey, you guys are those two cops, right?" their driver asked, looking up at the rearview mirror. Behind the wheel was a young, dark-coated deer with one missing antler. Nick answered in the affirmative. This was going to be a downside to having to take Zuber. A lot of mammals recognized them already, especially if they were taking rides in their uniform. Judy was not looking forward to every point A to point B becoming an interview opportunity for the curious citizens of Zootopia.

"Heading to the precinct while in uniform makes us easy to spot," the bunny laughed dismissingly. Conversations while in public usually immediately went to Nick being lost under the city and Judy preferred not to dwell on what was literally the very worst week of her entire life very much. As such, she normally kept her replies personable but generic.

"I saw some guys posting on Chitter that you got hitched," the buck stated casually. "Did that happen, or is it just stuff going around? Pardon the question if it ain't and all," he added hastily.

"We got married, yes," Judy informed. While a few mammals had approached them about it, fortunately most seemed to get that it was entirely private and didn't pry. The question was usually more about verifying that it wasn't an empty rumor. This was not such an instance.

"Wait, really?" he asked, eyes widening as he checked out his rear view again. "They really let you guys do that? With your work and all?" It was obvious the last part was added to imply that they should not have been prevented because they were a fox and a bunny.

"It doesn't interfere with our work, actually," Nick explained with a generic-looking smile..

"I guess. I sure couldn't work with my wife," laughed the driver. Judy rubbed one of her ears. Oh. This was a different direction than she usually saw these conversations go. Normally it was more about the fox and bunny thing when they wanted to go deeper into the subject. This was more about how they worked together at partners. It felt oddly refreshing. So far, only Carlisle seemed to care much about that aspect.

"We worked well together _long_ before it became a different sort of relationship," Nick responded.

The deer continued to press with his curiosity. "No one's hassling you about it? The internet can be pretty nasty about … well…"

"Literally everything?" offered Judy. She was happy to leave that side of the discussion in the dust. They didn't need to be defended. There were negative opinions about it, but they opted to almost completely ignore them except the rare occasion where it came from someone Judy literally grew up with.

"Huh… Yeah, I guess," their driver agreed. "I'm glad after all the stuff you two have gotten into, you can carve a little happiness out of this crazy place," he laughed, sounding much more positive.

He didn't have anything to really add to that as they moved swiftly from Sahara Square to the precinct in city center. It was fortunately a rather short drive, and it was certainly faster than the bus, which had been their only option before. Upon reaching the precinct, they got a pleasant and unexpected surprise.

They both got to see Clawhauser jogging around the station with Tora. He looked like he was doing okay, and perhaps even cheerful about it as the tiger chased him, barking out orders. It wasn't a fast run, but he was certainly doing more than walking. Nick gave a pleased smile at that, and Judy gave a supportive pumping of her fist to the puffing cheetah before entering the station and taking a seat in the bullpen. A second surprise came with the arrival of acting Mayor Bogo. The room was intensely loud to show approval as he brought in a guest, a red squirrel in a very neat and tidy grey suit and round spectacles perched on his nose. The tufts on his ears were long and meticulously groomed. Judy was fairly certain that she'd seen him before, but could not exactly remember where.

With only a sharp glare honed from years in his role as chief the officers went dead silent and allowed their former chief to speak.

"Good morning, officers," the former chief began in a lighter tone than usual. This informed Judy immediately that this was a political introduction. He abandoned his gruff tone only when dealing with a VIP that could affect things like funding. Bogo verified this as he continued speaking. "I would like to introduce Dr. Oliver Oak, our city's newest candidate for the terrifying position of mayor."

Unexpectedly, the guest quickly moved, making two short hops to get from the floor to a file box by the podium and up from there to the top of the podium so everyone could see him. He was a head shorter than Judy, but stockier… or just fluffier. He spoke, not bothering to allow the acting mayor to continue with the introduction, flicking his voluminous tail energetically.

"Good morning! What an exciting time to be in Zootopia!" Judy perked up immediately. His voice and demeanor were both immediately captivating. She hadn't expected that. Most of the squirrels she knew growing up were not nearly this engaging. She felt a pang of guilt for finding this unusual. Why shouldn't they be?

"Good morning!" a number of officers returned, including Judy. Nick watched the newly introduced candidate without speaking, however. Judy couldn't fault him for it. He wasn't the 'automated greeting, automated reply' kind of fox.

"As mentioned, I am the new mayoral candidate… but at present, I am running unopposed. Can you imagine? It seems that no one particularly wants to be mayor." He rubbed the back of his head with an air of confusion.

"I knew I should have run," Nick stated. There was a chuckle in the bullpen. Judy knew that was not a serious consideration, of course. Nick was directly involved in the investigations that removed the previous two mayors from office, and had a long history of pranking the current acting mayor. She couldn't help but smile at the thought, however.

"What happened to Myra Bois?" asked Fangmeyer from the back. Judy looked up expectantly at Bogo. Bois was the elk candidate who had just entered the race against Swinton a month or so before Swinton turned up dead. Judy hadn't heard any activity from other candidates in more than a month, but figured a lot of that stuff was on hold until they made some progress with the investigation.

Bogo was the one who answered. "While Bois was never implicated in Swinton's untimely demise, as the candidate running against her she has decided that she will not continue her bid for the office due to worry that it might appear that she is trying to take advantage of the tragedy."

Nick spoke up again as well. "It didn't help that she had nearly a quarter share of Great-Boar Tractor Supply."

"A subsidiary of Lanolin," came another voice. It was Tora, who had just entered the bullpen. She was still in the blue ZPD jogging shirt that she'd been wearing while chasing Clawhauser around the perimeter of the police headquarters. Judy was still stunned at her direct involvement with his continued physical therapy. "Very sharp, Nick." The fox didn't smile; he just continued to study the squirrel.

"Ahh, Chief Tora!" chimed the candidate in a sunny tone, "I saw you running around the building. I thought that was you! Also, I was actually unaware of that fact about our elk candidate," he admitted. "That is an unfortunate piece of happenstance. I can understand why she'd have dropped out then. I thought perhaps it was just… that the job became unappealing with all the… misfortune in that office of late."

"Do remember that we have an appointment across the street in about 20 minutes, sir," Bogo explained.

"Right, yes… So, with introductions out of the way, I should say why I came in today, yes? Yes." The squirrel adjusted his glasses. "I will be announcing my candidacy and my vision for the beautiful city of Zootopia this morning. I will be very busy in the coming weeks actually _meeting_ the many mammals that make this city great. I don't want to just go on TV and say how I feel. I want to know how you, all of you, who it will be my greatest honor to earn the respect of, feel about the city of Zootopia. What can I do to make it better? What can _I_ do to restore some of the heart that was lost in recent events? It won't be easy and I know that I cannot do it alone. I don't hold some special secret recipe to solve the city's problems, and I don't pretend that I have a grand road map to guide us back to everything that we've lost. It has to be one mammal at a time, and it has to be about regaining respect for an office that has lost its luster so terribly that the only one who stepped forward to take it over was me, the guy who redesigned the city sewer system." There was a potent laugh that rippled through the bullpen.

"What kind of doctor does that?" asked Wolfard, tilting his head in typical canine-curious fashion.

The squirrel answered patiently. "My background is in engineering. I specialize in miniaturization technology, mechanical automation, and robotics."

"Okay, well, you're immediately outside the usual political spectrum," commented Delgado with a chuckle.

"Indeed, and perhaps that's what's really needed," explained the squirrel with a smile. Judy actually found herself rather excited for this new candidate. He wasn't a typical politician. He wasn't likely to be on the payroll of some corporation, and he was filled with hope for the city. He was a planner and a thinker. How long had it been since the city had that as their mayoral option?

"That leaves you with little political background, however," Pennington said evenly. She had her arms crossed on the table in front of her, sitting alertly. "If someone decides to run against you, do you think maybe that will hinder you? Being kind of an unknown on the news and everything might make you seem less experienced."

"I am not overly concerned with appearances in that regard," answered Dr. Oak. "I am sure that question will come up even if I run unopposed, and the simple answer is… I don't know everything. No one does. No one, on their own, can have all the experience necessary to lead a city as sprawling and incredibly diverse as Zootopia. To advertise otherwise would suggest an embarrassing level of hubris." Judy looked over at Nick to gauge his reaction. The fox was smiling, his eyes wider. He saw it too. This mammal sounded genuinely good for the position, provided he was speaking from the heart. He continued, "Having said that, it is my intent to surround myself and others in my administration with the most respected experts in the city. Nepotism and back room dealing have obviously worn thin on the citizens of Zootopia."

There was a loud cheer in the room, and even Tora appeared pleased.

"So you know what we are most likely to ask, right?" inquired Pennington.

The squirrel smiled and nodded to the acting chief. "No, but it is my expectation that she does, so if you have concerns or expectations from the city of Zootopia that you wish to address with me, do not hesitate to speak with Chief Tora. She will always have a direct line to me. For today, however, as mentioned, I am open for questions. So please, do ask!"

"I suggest you keep questions brief, however, as we cannot stay long," added Bogo.

The elephant asked her question. "How will you address the conflict in our city surrounding the previous mayor and the mess with Lanolin?" Judy nodded. That was a very good first question and it affected their department a great deal. The squirrel took off his glasses, frowning a bit.

"Not an easy answer, that one. As mentioned, I will be consulting a lot of mammals and I know there will not be one best answer. It's going to take a lot of work to heal the injuries that those two events left on the city. We were barely recovering from the attacks on our predator population during the Nighthowler scandal when suddenly our sheep population found itself on the receiving end of the same nearly fanatical anger. Even hatred borne of genuine pain is harmful to a society. Biting your wounds does not heal them, but for some reason we are driven to do just that. Our instinctive anger is as hard a thing to ignore and prevent as physical pain is. While we must show sympathy for the feelings of anger that resulted from injustice, we cannot let it define the future of our city."

There was additional cheering. Judy joined in the applause, and was happy to see Nick do the same. The last time she saw him applaud anything a chinchilla was completely covered in whipped cream on stage.

Bogo interrupted. "Sir, a live video feed, you will find, is your most impatient critic."

"Yes, of course," Oak stated, nodding in affirmation.

"One more question," Nick interjected.

"Uh oh," Bogo reflexed. Judy glanced back and forth between them. Nick was smiling, so he wasn't about to do some kind of mischief. Was he? Oh no.

"Absolutely, sir," responded the squirrel candidate.

Nick spoke in a casual tone. "Out of the projects that you have been involved with in the city, which one made you the happiest?" Judy remained still and quiet. That didn't seem like a joke question, at least. Bogo deflated slightly in obvious relief.

"I hope that the media is as thoughtful with their questions are you are, officer," replied the squirrel. "You have just asked in a very astute fashion… Dr. Oak, who _are_ you?" Bogo and Tora both widened their eyes. "I suspect this answer will mean more to you than a reporter if they asked it, but I can _immediately_ answer it. My favorite project that I have worked on was the anti-crush safety system that is now the standard in rodent-class vehicles. I didn't invent the system, of course, but I was in charge of figuring out how to best implement it on an appealing variety of vehicles. If customers did not like the design of the car, all the promise of safety in the world would not have resulted in the adoption of that feature." Judy finally realized where she'd seen him before. His picture was on the front cover of the book that each officer was provided in the police academy that taught officers safety policy. The feature he spoke of was ultimately what allowed rodents to drive in designated lanes throughout the city, instead of being constrained to specialized public transit which was ultimately not nearly as convenient to them.

"Thank you, sir," Nick expressed genuinely.

"Now, I hope to get to address you all again soon, but the next few weeks or so I know will be a whirlwind, so… Good luck and stay safe out there!" He hopped straight down from the top of the podium with a little thump. Squirrels were pretty agile.

With Bogo and Oak leaving, the dull roar of officers providing their largely positive reactions to the new candidate overtook the room. It took Tora a couple tries to get it back under control. She provided the case-load for the day and dismissed everyone. Judy and Nick did not require additional cases as they were working specifically on the cheese one to at least entertain other possible leads, but they had to rely on Zuber to get around, which would not be as easy.

Judy spoke as they went down the steps outside the precinct. "If he gets his message out to the city like he did in there, anyone who would run against him would have to be deeply overconfident. What did you think?" she asked.

"I like him. It's certainly a better choice than either Swinton or Bois would have been. Both of them were into corporate cash pretty deep. A candidate typically has to be bankrolled somehow though, so I guess we will have to see if he really does want to be the mayor, or if someone else is encouraging him."

Judy considered that, but nodded. Nick was cynical sometimes, but it was a good question. "What were you trying to figure out with your question about his favorite project?" she asked, putting their order for a Zuber into the app on her phone.

"He was afraid to answer Francine's question about the angry mammals in the city," Nick stated. "I wanted to know what he really hoped to do about it."

Judy looked away from her phone at her stoic partner. "How were you gonna get the answer to that from the question you asked, Nick?" she asked.

Nick put his paws in his pockets, smiling. "The project that he most liked would be the one he feels best employed his approach to a problem. That is his ideal approach. How he handled that will be how he handles something as important as the one Francine asked about."

"Right, but I still don't follow. What did that project have to do with quelling the discontent that's putting strain on the public?" she inquired. Nick often thought a couple more steps ahead than Judy, and she knew it was cultural. Nick had told her before. Foxes were planners. Sometimes what her mate was doing was part of something she hadn't even considered yet.

"Well, his answer tells me that he understands that not everyone will like a plan or an idea, and it takes work and careful consideration to get others to adopt your vision, even if it's clearly meant specifically to help them more than yourself." Judy gazed appreciatively back at her mate. That was a very non-cynical takeaway and she felt even better about the interaction in the bullpen.

"That… That's a good thing then," she reported.

"That is a very good thing. I think this mammal might be a good mayor for the city of Zootopia." Judy beamed. She loved hearing her fox sound positive and happy. "I mean… until pictures surface of him in some weird club tucked almost completely into peanut butter and jelly sandwich."

Judy stared at the fox. "What?" she murmured in disbelief. Had he… seen something like that? Why would he say that? Why was she thinking about that?! A grin slowly spread over his face. "Nick!" Judy cried, punching his shoulder.

"Stop! Don't take that out, it came with the building! Drinks go in there!" That shrill voice was from the young lady otter, Kris, whose father bought the gas station where the cheese had been produced and stored. Nick and Judy entered to find her trying to block two wolves in jumpstuits from picking up and moving the cooler that had been in front of the counter where the cash register would go.

"You got pictures of the place before?" asked a lupine, shrugging. "We's been told whatever contained the whatever gots to go."

"Hold on a moment," Nick said, striding over to where the wolves were. In this particular establishment, they had to bend down a little not to brush the lights with their ears. It really was made for mammals of fox size and smaller.

"Oh, here's a cop now," pointed out the other wolf. "Tell this slipper that we gotta do our job, will ya? I nearly stepped on her twice already."

"Put the cooler down a moment," Nick instructed. The wolf did so. Judy watched, not interjecting right away. How did her partner intend to resolve this?

"Officer Wilde!" the otter squeaked and threw her arms around his waist. She was so tiny, not much more than half Judy's size, honestly. It was like Judy hugging Wolfard. Nick didn't try to wrench her free, but the bunny certainly didn't feel threatened by Kris. She finally cleared her throat and let the fox go. "Oh… Officer Hopps! Sorry, just.. I was so excited! I need help! They're taking _everything_!"

"It's Wilde," clarified Judy.

"Right, yes," the little otter responded, looking as if it were news to her.

"So, if you will please… note that there is no tile around where the feet of this cooler were…" instructed the fox. Judy stopped paying attention to Kris and focused on what Nick was showing them. There were little bare squares on the dark colored cement where the feet of the cooler had been.

"Yeah, so?' asked one of the wolves.

"Right, so… that suggests that when the tile was installed, the smaller owner didn't want to try lifting this big cooler by themselves, so they just installed the tile around it, but this floor isn't new. It's probably been here for years. That means the cooler was here a long time ago, and is most likely part of the gas station. You can just leave that there. You're probably not gonna need to rip out the walk in cooler at the back either, if I can offer clarification there." Judy smiled. He was right, of course, and the wolves both shrugged.

"Sure, whatever you say. You take the heat if we ain't did it right. I don't wanna carry out none of that stuff no-how," grumped the taller of the two canines, and they picked up a couple of crates and went back outside. At least the crates were obviously evidence.

"Thank you so much, Officers!" chimed the otter exuberantly. "They were gonna tear this place apart! How can I help?"

"We just wanted to look at some of the evidence ourselves, actually," Judy stated. "We have been given the case file and are investigating."

"You two are the ones investigating?" asked Kris in obvious awe. Judy laid her ears back, puzzled. What was her infatuation?

Nick nodded, taking point. "Yup. I wanted to ask if you remember seeing any vehicles around here when you first arrived to check the place out, or saw any mammals on property, even if all they did was come up and say hi. Especially if it happened before you first spoke with the police."

Kris appeared to think for a little while on that, then patted her little paws together.

"Yes. Oh yes, actually, there was a bat," informed the otter with a changing tone, leaning toward scandal. "She was literally hanging around the entrance when I pulled up. I thought it was so weird, but when I found all the other stuff, I guess I just… let it go." Kris rubbed her little chin.

"A… A bat?" asked Judy. They were not common because their population was just incredibly low. Three hundred years before, nearly eighty percent of the world bat population was wiped out in the span of a decade by a fungus that attacked their respiratory system. So far before modern medicine, it was one of the great historical tragedies. There were a few settlements in the Interior where bats flourished, but they were isolated because early on during the plague bats found themselves maligned. It was even suggested that bats were seen as a security risk because of their ability to fly and that the fungus may have been intentionally introduced into their population. This was later proven to be definitively false, but the result was that bats were still very scarce in the city of Zootopia. With few notable exceptions, they generally kept to themselves.

"That would count as a lead, I think. You are sure this was a she?" asked Nick.

"Yes," insisted Kris, "I was startled, but didn't want to seem rude, and I noticed that her toenails were painted my favorite color of pink. I told her that it was lovely!"

"Thank you. I'm gonna make a quick call, Judy, if you want to ask any other questions," Nick stated. He then made a beeline for the door. Judy fidgeted a little. He knew something. Did he know that bat? Nick said he knew everyone. There were not a lot of bats. This could be an even bigger lead than she thought!

"What's it like?" asked Kris.

"What? The job?" asked Judy.

"No… Being married to him." She nodded to the door.

"It's uh… It's nice," insisted Judy. Dear heavens, she did not want to be roped into this conversation! "So, vehicles and stuff… see anything like that?" asked the doe wanting to lead the conversation away from something more personal.

"No. Not that I remember. Is he the sweet, quiet type? Or is he more the overpowering dominant personality type?" Judy stared at the little otter, stunned. This was bordering on obsession. Was that okay? Nick was famous because of the Bellwether thing, the Darmaw incident, and the Interior thing. Judy already knew that they had actual fans, even if it didn't interfere very much. Was that all this was?

"He's sweet, very intelligent, and very _loyal_ ," Judy expressed, adding emphasis at the end. The doe didn't want this poor otter ignoring the right one for her because she was distracted with her blind attachment to a famous fox. Ultimately Judy worried that she might have sounded possessive just then, and she had no cause for jealousy.

"Oh gosh, you are just the luckiest bunny!" squeaked Kris. At least she seemed happy that he was with Judy. That helped.

"Do you know him from somewhere, or just TV?" inquired the doe, open to at least finding out why this strange little otter fawned over him so.

"I know him because he helped save my uncle Emmett," explained Kris. Judy gasped.

Oh! She … Oh she had a _personal_ reason to see Nick as _her_ hero. Of course she was a fan of the fox! Judy relaxed almost completely.

"That was a very tough case. We've met with Emmett Otterton a couple of times since. I'm so happy he's doing well," expressed the bunny.

"Aunt Elaine wouldn't let me go see him when he was in the hospital," explained the small otter gal. "I didn't understand at first, but then I saw the videos of how those mammals were. How… they couldn't even remember who they were or… or… anything!" Judy put her ears back slowly. It was different for those mammals who had a friend or family member get Nighthowlered. It was a completely different level of fear.

"I'm glad that so far as we can see, there's no lasting effects of the serum," Judy stated. "But those mammals are never going to forget about it, so we have to show a lot of support and care for those who went through it. Emmett has a good family."

"Yeah… but if Officer Wilde … Nick I mean … hadn't been so brave and faced Bellwether even though he wasn't trained or _anything_ then maybe all of those mammals would have … I don't know. Maybe they'd still be like that." She sighed, trying to calm herself. Judy leaned against the wall by where the cooler had been moved. It made a lot more sense to the bunny why this little otter seemed so obsessed. It also made Judy feel better because it appeared, to her at least, that most mammals dismissed Nick's role in the whole thing, even after the actual video of the incident in the museum had been made public.

"I am very lucky to have him," Judy agreed, nodding. "Not just personally, but even as my partner on the force. He is every bit as good a police officer as he is a friend."

"When they thought he was lost I couldn't even eat," said the smaller mammal. Judy recoiled at that, which Kris seemed to actually notice. "I mean… I shouldn't talk about that. It was terrible, I'm sorry… but… I was there. With my aunt and uncle. When they said you found him…" Judy took in a slow, very deep breath. Of course Emmett would have gone to the funeral. Even Koslov had been there. Finnick had told her that.

"I uh… I feel awful that I didn't… I didn't go…" Judy offered. She did. She still felt guilty for that even though Nick and his mother both made it clear that she would never, ever have to apologize.

Kris, however, threw her arms around Judy's middle, pressing in her cheek and giving a very… Otterton-esque hug. Otters, Judy understood, were huggers on par with bunnies.

"But you brought him back, so it's okay," laughed Kris.

"I'm trying not to be jealous but…" Nick's voice broke both the awkward silence and the hug. Kris stumbled back and then darted over and gave the fox a squeeze too. Judy laughed to herself. Her mate's expression made it clear that he had not intended to provoke a hug of his own.

"Did you find anything out?" the doe inquired as her partner tried to carefully and tactfully pry off the little otter gal.

"Ah, yeah… Actually… I did… And we gotta go," he remarked. Judy nodded to her mate and the otter finally let go.

"Be safe you two," she chimed.

"Thanks, Kris!" Nick barked back, falling into step beside Judy. While Nick wasn't facing her when he said it, Judy had cast a glance back at her, and she beamed at Nick actually using her name. The bunny chuckled. Maybe her fox had a fan club out there after all!


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:**

 _Finally, a canid that's NOT Nick is having a bad day. See? He's not eternally Suffer-Fox™_

 ** _If you are just joining Guardian Blue for the first time,_** _you will want to check out Season 1 and 2 first, and I would highly recommend Thanks for the Fox even before that as well so everything makes sense. ^^ Duke of Absolution will likely also be needed. This story is getting big._

 _Disney owns all the Zootopia stuff. I appreciate all they did to get the ball rolling but until such time as they see fit to crank out endless Zootopia content like anyone with a decent understanding of economics would understand is warranted, I will just keep telling the story myself!_

 _Also! Another HUGE shout-out to J. N. Squire for assisting with editing for Season 3. Also, I would like to extend a special thank you to a few others who are helping me to keep updating and keep the quality high even with my busy schedule, and my friend Alex who helps me greatly with beta-reading!_

 **Guardian Blue: Season Three**

 _Episode 8: Darkness_

A great white wall towered over Judy literally to the low-wandering post rain shower clouds that buffeted up against it. They were pushed off to the right as was typical for air flow at that point. This iconic cliff was at the edge of what had been the original mountainside quarry used to build much of Zootopia itself. The two officers had been dropped off by their Zuber driver outside a tunnel that lead into the mountain. To prevent the buildup of harmful gases, only electric vehicles were allowed to go inside. This was the tunnel that provided access to one of the most unique parts of all of Zootopia.

This was the Nocturnal District.

The mammals who lived here took to a darker area to make it so that they did not upset their natural circadian rhythms while still interacting with the diurnal population of Zootopia. There was a massive natural cave system that had been expanded, enlarged, and carefully reinforced to create an entire fairly large suburb of Zootopia just outside the city proper. Judy had been here only once, during her original tour of the full city in her early days at the ZPD. She never had cause to go back. The mammals here often kept to themselves, really. This was the only place Judy _knew_ there to be bats in the city, so she was pretty sure that's why she was there.

"Have you… been here much?" she pressed her partner as he led her over to the electric trolley stop just outside the tunnel.

"In my less ethical days, yes," Nick replied, hooking his tail absent-mindedly behind Judy's legs. There was no one else there, so she didn't bother chasing that fluffy appendage away.

"Should I even ask?" the bunny murmured cautiously.

"It was when I worked for Mr. Big," he replied evenly. Judy had suspected as much. "Nothing that insidious, I promise. I ran packages back and forth, and my excellent night vision and less… conspicuous… species made me a natural choice for the task."

"What were you delivering?" Judy pried. She was his wife. She could ask these things now, right? Was that okay? It had to be okay. She bet he'd tell his mom if Viv offered him the same question.

The fox answered casually enough. "To my understanding, it was legitimate business, save for licensing restrictions. Declared commerce, taxes, that sort of thing. The things themselves were not _supposed_ to be illegal, but it's not like I helped myself to the contents of the boxes or anything, so I can't make much of a promise there."

"And this bat… Do you know her?" Judy further questioned. She didn't want to give the impression that she was judging his past deeds. Those were in the past. What they were doing now was much more important to her.

"Rosa McCloud," Nick responded, paws in his pockets as they waited. He flicked his ears. It was getting windier again. Some more rain might be moving in. It wouldn't affect the officers where they were going, however.

"You figured it out from… from just the description you got?" the doe inquired.

"Kris said she had her toenails painted her favorite color. When we met that little otter, she had a flower brooch thing… it was pink." Judy tried to think back. How could he remember that? She seemed to recall she had something behind her ear. Nick continued. "I felt that was probably her favorite color, and I know exactly one bat, and that bat painted her toenails pink. It's really bright and eye-grabbing on a solid black mammal, I assure you."

"Do you think she might be involved?" Judy verbally pondered.

"I hope not, because if she is, our coyote friend might also be involved, and he might be missing because he knows we're on to him. That won't make him easy to find."

"Well… heck…" Judy sighed. "You know where to look for her?"

Nick responded, shrugging. "Here, for one. There's not a lot of reasons for her to have been anywhere else unless she was involved at least indirectly. She might have been a lookout, or she might have been there because of someone else. But there's only one way to find out. And… so we are both prepared, she's not the trusting sort when it comes to badges. So this will be a rather tense reunion."

"Were you… friends?" Judy pried gently. She hadn't discussed it much, but she was pretty sure her partner lost a few friendships moving to her side of the street.

"Acquaintances," the fox responded, "I didn't keep a lot of friends, Fluff. Mammals in my line of work were not typically given to honest discourse, and a real friendship doesn't function without honesty. Business partners were bountiful, but friends were a rare commodity." Judy gazed down at her feet as she listened to her fox.

She was sad that he didn't have a lot of friends back then. It was, in her opinion, when he probably needed them the most, but she could understand why it was better to keep ones distance if the folks he primarily dealt with were more likely to be untrustworthy. One should be able to trust ones friends. The soft dinging of the trolley caught the bunny's ear and she looked up to see a bright green light in the tunnel on the left. It would exit, turn across the road, and head back to pick them up and drop others off.

"Do you think she might be dangerous?" Judy asked. She hadn't given much thought to having to take down a bat suspect. What could the bunny really do if Rosa fled? Neither officer could fly. A bat wasn't much larger than Finnick, however, so she couldn't imagine that she would prove too much of a struggle if they snagged her before she took flight.

"I promise you she can be." Nick stated darkly. "She usually has a pair of throwing knives and she's never been afraid to use them."

"Wait, really?" the bunny hissed, her ears popping up high.

"Really," Nick informed. "I don't think she'd be dumb enough to attempt to attack a ZPD officer, but I have no idea what she's into these days. If she's worried about going away for a while, she might get desperate."

"Thanks for the heads up," the bunny offered anxiously. Great. A flying, knife-throwing suspect. That got more serious than she had expected. The trolley came back around finally and clanked to a stop. The officers hopped on and remained standing, holding the railing along the side. The trip itself was mostly quiet, aside from Nick pointing out a few key places. The public service areas were right near the entrance, and that included their court building, assistance offices, and all of that. It was a pretty narrow-looking tunnel with a single line of buildings on either side.

There were only two other mammals on that trolley when they got on, a pair of opossums, so they didn't have to stop anywhere else as the vehicle lumbered with its soft pinging through the dark tunnel. It was very much like night there, with street lamps and lights on everywhere. The soft breeze pulled through the tunnel by massive ventilation fans made it feel more like it was just any other borough, just at night.

As they went past the public services section, they finally made it into the town proper. It was a massive dome cut out of the mountain from what had been, even before that, an already huge and primarily dome-shaped cave. Rows and rows of neatly arranged little houses lined the bottom of the hill the little trolley slowly descended. This made it appear very much like a little suburb, and that was only accented further by the tiny lights in the ceiling of the cave that passed for stars. The lights were even arranged like familiar constellations. There was a projection of the moon high in the 'sky' as well. A lot of care went to the comfort of their nocturnal neighbors here.

There were, of course, no natural trees, but Judy was happy to see many lovingly tended mushroom gardens. Several glowing varieties were very popular. It distracted from how otherwise barren the area might look. Here and there, artificial trees had been placed which gave the streets a more natural feel. One area, though Judy couldn't see it well, featured a park that appeared to have many of those convincing trees and lovely pathways wandering through them. The doe was sure that there were other artificial plants here and there, as needed for whatever beautification needs anyone had.

The trolley made it about a quarter of the way into the nearly three mile wide little suburb, just beyond an stereotypical little strip mall, before Nick pulled the little cord that let the driver of the trolley know that he wanted off. This was just outside of a small apartment complex that was obviously made of the same stone that had been on the cliff face outside. It was likely apart of the original accommodation in this place.

As such, it was not particularly lovely. It was run down and about as 'rich' as much of what she'd seen in Happy Town.

"Do many foxes live here?" she asked her partner as he stepped off the trolley.

"A few, but while we might be fine for being out and about at night, we're very highly adaptable and tend to like day time just fine if we have opportunities in the day," he explained. "Except mornings. No sane mammal likes mornings," he added.

"I love mornings," Judy responded, ears falling.

"And here's where I offer no retraction, Carrots," her partner chuckled. "Oh… speaking of foxes," he whispered.

A lady red fox stepped past them down the sidewalk pushing a stroller. Seeing her reminded Judy so much of the second time she saw Nick. She was even wearing a green shirt, though it was just plain green. The bunny was ready to write off the entire coincidence, but the vixen spoke up.

"Nicky? Wait… Nicky?!" she gasped. Judy's partner grinned and flitted his tail side to side. Judy stopped and gawked a moment. Sometimes it seemed he really _did_ know everybody.

"Hey, Maya. Long time no see!" he chimed.

"You bet yer tail it's been… what… Two years now? More?" she qualified.

"Longer, I'd bet," the fox corrected.

"Why you ain't never came back?" she asked, leaning on the handle of her baby carriage. Judy stepped closer, seeing that it contained one tiny red fox kit. Probably a boy based on the blue mammoth print onesie. This kit couldn't be more than about eight months.

"I stopped working for the employer that had me down here," Nick admitted. "Looks like you finally found some good company though," Nick nodded down to the kit.

"Coulda been you, if you'd have stuck around," Maya teased. Judy immediately tensed up. She knew she had no reason for jealousy, but it was strange seeing someone openly flirt with her mate.

"A lofty advertisement, given we never dated," Nick stated flatly, perhaps to immediately dispel any anxiousness in the bunny. He sounded smug about it, however. He didn't _mind_ being flirted with, at least.

"Because you couldn't never see past your next job, Nicky," she huffed. "But no, I'm doin' alright. You here to see Erin?" she queried. Judy's ears dropped. Who was Erin? There was just so much she didn't ask about when it came to his old life.

"Here on business, actually. Gotta check out a lead on a case I'm working," he explained. Judy relaxed again. That was an innocuous enough way to put it.

"You ain't gonna find a lot of folks who wanna talk to you. It'd've been one thing if you got the badge and was _quiet_ about it, but I think you'd have to 'ave been deeper underground than all this to miss what you been doin' these past few months," she snickered jovially. "I don't know whether to thump your ear for goin' and becoming a cop or pester ya'll for autographs!"

Judy laughed uncomfortably at that, and her husband changed the subject. "What's this little guy's name?" he crooned, leaning down to see in the stroller. Nick gave a big smile to greet the kit.

"Nick," the vixen answered, making the bunny tense up again. "Hah! No relation. Tyr's dad's name is Nick, too." she giggled, surely not missing Judy's partner's distressed expression at all.

"Tyr… what, Devon's brother?" the fox asked. Judy pulled her ears in front of her tightly. He came down here only a _little_ while, how had he been so involved?

"The same. I had surgery a while back and he helped me when I was laid up, so we got closer and… and we just never looked back!" she chirped.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're doing alright, and might catch you around. I don't get to come down here much, but I'll check in and say hi if I am," he nodded. Judy nodded also, making sure that Nick knew that he was allowed to be social. She worried that she crowded him sometimes. She was a bunny. Bunnies stay close. She was aware that wasn't as much a fox thing, though he'd told her more than once that he didn't mind.

The vixen laughed, and then gasped, regarding the bunny she'd not said a word to. "I'm sorry, I didn't even introduce myself, 'cause I already know who you are! Gracious me." She took Judy's paw lightly and gave it a bounce. "Maya, I knew Nicky when he was a delivery guy."

"I'm Judy, his partner," the bunny greeted. She usually just left it at partner because it held plenty of double-meaning.

"I know. Keep this fox out of trouble!" she demanded, and then giggled again, rolling her kit away.

"I honestly didn't picture her doing the mom thing," Nick explained.

"Why's that?" Judy asked as she fell into step beside him as he entered the apartment complex.

"Well, if I know someone here, I can promise it wasn't because they were squeaky clean and innocent," Nick chuckled. Judy frowned at that. Maybe that vixen cleaned up though. She seemed nice enough. It was odd considering that perhaps he could have even dated her, or anyone, and maybe that would have changed his path completely. Maybe he'd not have been there to help her with their first case together. Things would have played out so differently. She might not even be a cop.

She was pulled from her quiet contemplation as they approached a staircase that went to a second floor apartment.

Judy tapped on the door lightly. She knew enough about bats to know that banging on their door loudly would not delight them at all. There was a rustle inside.

"Fricken _frick_ , just a moment! Gah! Always when I'm eating!" The female voice did sound a bit muffled, as if by food. Judy stood back as the door opened, and found a bat, upside down, up over her head in the doorway. Nick stepped behind Judy to make it harder to just swoop out the door, if that was Rosa's immediate intent. Nick would easily be able to just grab her.

"What? Oh. What the heck do ya'll want?" the bat grumbled with no real noticeable Interiors accent. She didn't sound worried like Judy was aware someone usually did if they had the cops at their door when they were doing something wrong. She sounded much more like Judy and Nick being there was a colossal inconvenience to her.

This mammal was about Finnick's size, maybe just a little taller, but her ears were also pretty big. She had a short little muzzle and dark, beady eyes. She wore a black spandex-type shirt that tucked in to similar material pants. Something like that was probably very useful for bats so it didn't just fly up all over them while they were swooping about. It made sense that they would wear something form-fitting and snug. As advertised, her long, curved toenails were indeed bright pink. Judy agreed that, particularly on black batty toes, it was nearly the pinkest thing she'd ever seen. Of course Nick would have remembered that.

"Remember me?" Nick grinned. The fox was obviously trying to be non-threatening.

"Well, shit," the lady bat swore. "Yeah, but whaddaya want with me? I'm busy."

"We had a couple of questions to ask, if you would please," Judy spoke softly. She found that she got more cooperation if she didn't make it seem forced. The bat could help them with something, and maybe they could help the bat with something. That's how they got the best info, most of the time.

Rosa grumbled. "I got nothing to talk about. And whatever he _thinks_ he knows about me, he don't know nothin'." Judy's nose wiggled. A brick wall right off the starting line.

The fox spoke calmly. "It's just a moment of your time, and then we'll head back to where we came from, but it's really important."

"It's about the dumb gas station, ain't it?" she sighed, closing her wings in front of her tighter. The posture reminded Judy of the arms-crossed position mammals often took when they were hiding something. Nick had taught her to watch for it. Her response had also been immediately suspicious.

"Which gas station might you be referring to?" Judy returned. Rosa volunteered that last bit and the bunny was quite surprised that she had.

Rosa wrapped her wings righter around herself. Her arms were so slender, Judy observed. It seemed as if she'd be very brittle in a fall or something. Flying was terrifying to the bunny even with metal airplane wings. The bat spoke in a softer tone. "Yeah, I saw ya'll show up after I left there the other day. I ain't got nothin' to do with what's goin' on there, okay? I don't even know what's there. I was just _outside_ , waitin' on someone. I ain't involved, and you got no reason to implicate me for just hanging out near a place. Outside the place ain't doin' whatever it was they was doin' there so leave me out of it, _fox_." Judy dropped her ears, unable to mask her immediate irritation with the tone Rosa had used, suggesting 'fox' was some kind of dig.

"Were you waiting on a coyote?" asked the fox patiently.

"Why?" she replied hastily. "You find 'im?" She sounded suddenly anxious. That distracted Judy from her irritation.

Nick stood quiet just a moment, observing Rosa. Her eyes were very wide. She sounded super intense suddenly. Even Judy could see her hug her wings around her ever tighter.

The 'fox' finally replied. "No. We haven't. And I am honestly a little concerned about him."

"What _you_ care?" she pushed. "You left us dirty things in the _dirt_ , and raised yourself up real high and mighty!" She spread her wings out, which made her seem considerably larger for some reason. "Taggin' along with this bunny doing the do-gooder duty doo-dee-doo." She sneered, showing lots of very sharp little teeth. When she spread her wings, Judy didn't see any obvious knives.

Nick didn't try to defend his choices, of course. The few times it ever came up while doing arrests and the like, he never did. He said it didn't need defending. He spoke calmly. "I do care, actually. See, Mike's been helping a lady run a bakery and she's worried about him too. I don't know what he has to do with the stuff going on there, if anything, but we've been trying to find him to make sure he's okay because he's up and disappeared on us."

Judy crossed her own arms, considering Nick's wording. That was a far better angle to play. If that bat was involved, she likely wouldn't admit it. But if Mike was in trouble, it might be something she'd be more willing to talk about, and Mike would be more in the know about that kind of case than most, and much more likely to cooperate. Finding Mike was a better shot.

"I… Okay…" Rosa sounded conflicted a moment. "Okay, so… I don't know if Mike's got anything to do with that place, but I was there because I was concerned too. Not about what he's got going on. That shit's always lowbie bootleg and petty stuff, you know him. You _know_ him, Nick. He ain't no criminal mastermind. He's just… just…" She was apparently at a loss for words, fidgeting.

"Trying to get by," Judy offered. The bat tilted her head curiously, which appeared far weirder with her upside down. Judy glanced in the apartment enough to see there were little rails on the ceiling everywhere. She could just… step around upside down all over the apartment. There were shelves hanging down from the ceiling with things in them, and a small hanging glass table that resembled something like a round, lightless chandelier.

"Yeah, I… I guess. Yeah. You get it. So… I don't want him thinkin' I told you he was involved in anything, I just thought that was a good place to find him. I needed to find him," said Rosa cautiously.

Nick took a dep breath and then spoke slowly and clearly. "Okay, so, listen… I have no evidence that puts _you_ with anyone or anything inside that gas station, Rosa. You don't have to worry about _that_ right now. That is a separate investigation from our missing coyote. If he's involved in that, that's his problem, but if he's in trouble, I'll bet it's more than getting blamed for knowing about bootlegged goods," the fox expressed. "If you want to help him, talk to me about it."

Rosa was for a moment hesitant, but finally spoke.

"Cherry," she stated almost too soft to hear.

"What?" Nick asked. Judy wasn't sure if it was just because he hadn't heard her, or if he didn't understand.

"Cherry's out," the bat responded a little louder.

"Oh… Uh oh…" Nick flattened his ears. "And she… was looking for him?" qualified the fox.

"Oh yeah," murmured Rosa darkly.

"Cherry… Why do I recognize that name?" Judy inquired, rubbing her chin.

"His ex-girlfriend," Nick reminded.

"Oh! That's right!" Judy said, patting her paws together. "Oh wait… She was the…" The bunny halted. She didn't want to start a rumor or something.

"The 'not stable' one, yes," Nick replied to confirm that the bat obviously already knew.

"And you think… he might be in trouble because she's out? Where was she?" pried the doe.

"Hospital. Has been for over a year, but she slipped out during a fire drill," explained Rosa.

The bunny cringed. "Oh… that's not good. What would she… do… if she found him?" asked the smaller officer.

"I ain't got the vocabulary to express what awful things that coyote's gonna go through if _she_ gets him," the upside down lady bat stated with worry.

"Did he do something to upset her?" Judy inferred.

"Left her and their twin cubs. She even says one of them _died_ because of it," the bat deadpanned. Judy flinched hard. Mike did _what_?! He was irresponsible, but that… that…

"Oh my God, that's terrible!" cried the bunny. Judy was immediately uncomfortable even allowing him to make deliveries for Viv!

"Especially since she never even had cubs," Nick explained in a measured tone. "Not from Mike, or anyone else." Judy put her paws limply at her sides.

"What?" she took a turn at deadpanning.

"They were plush toys," Rosa sighed sadly. "No one's got the guts to say otherwise to Cherry, of course. She's hopelessly violent and a behemoth of a wolf-girl to boot. I was her roommate when she started that stuff with the cubs. I think she was tryin' to keep other girls away from her 'yote, but he found out she was tellin' all kinds of mammals they had cubs and he bolted. I don't know what happened to the yellow plush that went 'missing', but I feel dang sorry for it. Cherry went into a full on rage. Wrecked the place she was stayin' with Mike."

"I wasn't aware that Cherry had been committed," Nick stated in a worried tone.

"Yeah, she got hauled in because she attacked an orderly at the hospital 'cause she said her friend Jules told her Mike was hidin' out there. He hurt his back runnin' from the cops or somethin'. She got darted like… four times, I heard."

"That would be unsafe," Judy clarified.

"But I bet it would still have been necessary," Nick reaffirmed. Judy's nose went for a wiggle. How big a wolf was this actually supposed to be?

"So… do you think she actually went after him when she got out?" Judy pressed.

"I know she did. She kicked my door in looking for him last week," Rosa explained anxiously. She pointed out the fresh carpentry in her doorframe as evidence. Judy cringed. This was a very troubling development. She assumed that the coyote might have been hiding because he knew he was in legal trouble, or the folks that were running that cheese operation were mad at him when it got seized. If there was a psychotic wolf out there that thought Mike was even indirectly responsible for the death of her cub, real or not, his life could actually be in danger.

"Do you know where Mike might be living right now?" Nick inquired quietly. "I'm a lot more concerned about that coyote with this new bit of info." Rosa gazed down, which was actually up, ears twitching all around, as if trying to figure out if anyone else was in ear-shot.

"Yeah," she finally answered. "You can't tell him I told you, but I would be more comfortable… knowing someone's looking after him. I… We ain't been great friends, you know, but if she gets to him before you guys do, she's gonna probably get more than a hospital stay this time. She's not so bad when she's getting help… Cherry I mean. She's not. But she won't listen to anyone, and now… I'm scared of her. Please don't let her know I had anything to do with you guys."

"Mum's the word," Nick stated calmly. "So where can we find the coyote?"

The bat thought quietly just slightly longer, and finally answered. "I checked there last week and also yesterday… and I didn't see him, but I know he's been staying at the Grand Pangolin Arms Apartments… I don't know what actual apartment."

"Those apartments were condemned," Judy responded in an anxious tone. Were they being lied to? She had a reason to know that no one lived there anymore, but if she had not been a tenant, she might otherwise have had no idea.

"No one's _supposed_ to live there, no," the bat replied.

"Ah… I gotcha," Judy returned. He was squatting. That was pretty common when places got closed down, but that would have been a pretty short squat. Those apartments were scheduled to be torn down in a few months.

The fox nodded to Judy, implying that he believed her. "Alright, thank you for your help. As discussed, your involvement will be off the radar," Nick promised.

"Be careful, you two," Rosa replied, appearing anxious. "Even Koslov is terrified of Cherry." Fox and bunny both cringed and nodded.

"Duly noted," Nick sighed.

With that, they left the eternal night time apartment of Rosa the bat, and walked back over to where the trolley met them on its return trip only a few minutes later. During the ride back, Nick had a report sent to him on his ZPD Comms app on his phone. He reviewed the case history for Cherry, and sounded surprised at some of the things she was supposed to have done, much of it even before he'd met her.

"I had no idea she was this…" he started.

"Dangerous?" the bunny offered.

"No," he replied. "I was unaware that she was this far separated from reality. She pretended to be a firefighter a couple of years ago and rescued six children from a burning building." He spoke softly as he scrolled down. There were a couple of raccoons and another opossum on the trolley near the front.

"That sounds… Well, that actually sounds redeeming, Nick," the bunny commented.

"Ask me if there was actually a fire, Carrots," Nick pressed.

"Oh… Sweet cheese and crackers," the bunny pulled her ears back.

"There was not a fire," Nick offered despite Judy not even needing to ask.

He looked through a few other incidents involving Cherry, and found one that involved Rosa as well. The bat had been present when she tackled a jogging deer and told him he was 'it'. The bat apologized to him and gave him five bucks not to say anything about it. He reported it anyway. The impression that Nick got from this was that Rosa was trying to help Cherry while they were associated and kept her out of trouble. It was likely why the wolf was off their radar until Mike left her. The image in her file made it clear that Rosa had not been kidding. She was a massive white wolf with bright gold eyes, but her build could be best described as 'above ground storm shelter'. The bunny hoped that they did not have to deal with her.

While nick was looking at the data on their possible suspect for the missing coyote, the bunny called to set up their Zuber. They didn't really have time to waste. Judy looked forward to getting their patrol car back. Eventually, they were back outside by that massive white cliff, and still had to wait for just a little while. Back outside, it was easy to remember why nocturnal mammals were nocturnal. The sun had come out and it was uncomfortably hot again. She didn't even want to think of what kind of day it likely was in Sahara Square.

They soon caught their Zuber and headed out to the edge of Savana Central, the site of the bunny's former apartments. She gazed up at the much sadder, dirtier-looking building. Many of the lower floor windows were boarded up, and there was a heavy iron gate on the front door. There were signs posted to warn away trespassers. Judy recalled how much her life changed when these apartments were condemned. She ended up living with Nick, and being so close to him made it far easier to realize that she'd fallen in love.

"The gate's locked… so I don't know how anyone would be getting in to squat," the bunny mentioned, pulling at the chained gate. The heavy padlock was still very much intact.

Nick grinned. "If I were a mammal accustomed to not having a permanent address, which I no longer am, I would suggest checking the fire escape on the west side of the building." Judy glanced in that direction, then out at the road. The placement of cross traffic at the corner the building sat on made it so the east side was visible to approaching cars, but the nearby adjacent apartment on the other side obscured the west alleyway pretty securely. Even though she'd gained a great deal of experience with her partner, it felt like she learned something new each and every day.

Nodding, Judy followed him, and they walked to the alleyway quickly, not wanting to give a lot of time for anyone who might be inside to be tipped off and flee.

Judy scanned the fire escape and saw that all of them were pulled up. "You know, we should have asked if your bat friend actually told Cherry where Mike was when she kicked her door in..."

"I get the feeling that Rosa would have felt like she were directly murdering him, honestly," Nick responded. "She'd not have been looking for Mike yesterday if she told Cherry where he was last week."

Judy gave a sizable hop from the alleyway to the top of a dumpster, and an impressive leap from there to the retracted ladder of the fire escape. And then she just dangled there. The bunny sighed softly and glanced down to her partner who just stood there innocently looking up at her, tail swinging slowly side to side in that resting fox mode fashion. Judy glared.

"Do I really have to ask?" she huffed. Nick scrambled up onto the dumpster with a grin and just swung around to hold the other side of the ladder and climb up a few rungs so she was kind of out of the way. Nick gave a decent enough leap himself, showing his leg was doing just fine, and caught the bottom rung. It clanked slowly down as it was designed to do. Nick grinned as he pulled Judy down to his level, as she was higher on the ladder and leaned in between the rungs and kissed her grumpy little bunny nose.

Well, a coyote could have gotten up the same way, Judy felt. That wasn't an impossibility.

Judy and Nick both went up the fire escape and tested one window after the next, trying to find one that seemed like it had been broken. Nick tested them to see if any of them opened. While he did that, Judy called in their location and their disposition. If there were alarms in the building, they might end up setting them off inadvertently, and they wanted to make sure that it was known they were attempting to enter the building.

"This one. This is it," Nick stated in a hushed tone.

"It's still locked," Judy observed, pointing at the latch inside the window.

"There's no dust and debris on the sill," Nick pointed out. He pulled the window open, despite the latch being engaged.

"Oh… It looked locked," the bunny noted.

"It's been broken. It might have been locked, but it's able to be opened now," the fox pointed out quietly. "It's probably gonna be dark in the halls, so you know the drill," he said with a smug grin.

"That I do," Judy laughed. He hopped into the empty room, his paws making a slightly echoing thump as he stood beside a cold radiator. The little apartment was almost exactly like Judy's, the same paw-print motif on the walls and everything. There was even a bed, though a mattress was not present.

They went over to the door to the apartment and left it, heading into the hall. Judy did as Nick had implied. She slipped her paw into the plush joy that was his tail and held it so that, at least until her eyes adjusted more, she could be led through the dark hallway.

"Listen for movement," the fox whispered. "I don't see any doors open. Gonna be a pain to search this place top to bottom."

"There's a lot of rooms in this place." Judy explained.

"Where are the most expensive ones?" the fox queried.

"The penthouse, obviously," the doe replied.

"That's where we're going. You know how Mike is. He'll pretend he owns the place," the vulpine officer suggested. Judy nodded in the dark hallway.

"That would make sense, yes."

"Claw marks," Nick observed as he reached the door to the stairwell. Judy paused, but couldn't see them. Her eyes were still adjusting.

"Coyote, maybe?" she asked.

"That would be a big coyote paw," Nick said darkly. Judy switched paws, holding Nick's tail with her left hand and her tranquilizer pistol with her other. She gave the fox's tail a tug to let him know she was ready, considering again that it would have been outrageous for her to do this if they were not mates.

Nick carefully opened the door to the stairwell, and slowly they ascended the stairs. The knowledge that a large mammal had clawed the door did not put the bunny at ease, and the darkness in the stairwell was so black that even Nick had to resort to taking his phone out and using the flashlight on it. It might spoil their element of surprise, but both officers were aware that if Mike were scared of someone coming to get him, he might very well have put booby traps in the stairwells.

Fortunately, that did not appear to be the case, but there were two more locations along the walls where there were obvious deep claw marks. It was so ominous. It reminded the doe of her first case with Nick, not knowing if there was a savage mammal lurking in the shadows. This place was nearly as scary as that hospital, and had that ancient, forbidden feel to it even though the bunny used to actually live in this place. It was populated with plenty of mammals less than a year before.

Nick broke the painful silence. "This is as high as the stairwell goes, I guess… and more claw marks," the fox pointed out. Judy felt a wave of anxiousness.

"They look fresh," she mentioned.

"This reminds me… so much…" Nick began softly,

"The hospital, yeah…"

"Just waiting for a crazed tiger to scare me outta my fur again," Nick huffed, shaking his head.

"We left that back in Bogo's old office," Judy returned with a grin. She was trying to steel her nerves with a smattering of humor. It honestly wasn't helping.

Nick opened the door and the fox and bunny found themselves entering a much wider hall. There was a very tall and ornate window at each end and two sets of double doors separated at a considerable distance by one single door.

Judy whispered, "The one at the end there used to be the apartment office. Then there's a storage area there between them." Nick nodded and the pair of officers walked together to the room at the end of the hall. It was light enough in this area that Judy did not need to hold her partner's tail anymore, but she was reluctant to let it go all the same. She sub-consciously moved her paw right to her muzzle. It was a guilty pleasure, and she was glad Nick ignored her as she savored the wildflower scent and then moved over beside him.

"Broken," Nick said under his breath.

"Maybe that's how he got in?" the doe responded just as quietly, hoping.

"He could have slipped this lock," Nick pointed out.

Judy checked the loadout of her dart gun. The tuft of red on the dart she had loaded was sufficient to take out a large mammal. Wolves usually got yellow, but she wasn't taking chances. Not with this one.

Nick drew his own tranq pistol as well and stood off to the side of the door. He nodded to his bunny. He was ready. Judy pushed the door with her foot and stepped to the side. If someone dove out of the room to tackle them, they'd have to make a 90 degree turn before they could, and one officer or the other would drop them if that happened.

No one pounced.

There was no sound.

Judy and Nick entered the apartment cautiously. It was well lit since there were plenty of windows, and it was still pretty highly furnished.

"Clear up front," Judy whispered, able to see the kitchen and dining area.

The officers moved together down the hallway inside the apartment itself, and a long trail of claw marks all the way down the distance of the hallway in the blue version of Judy's familiar wallpaper.

"Mike did _not_ do this," Nick warned. "… annnnd I smell blood." Nick's ears pinned back tightly.

"Oh God, we're gonna find a body, aren't we?" Judy murmured anxiously.

"No, that would certainly have more of a scent," her partner answered, "But I _do_ smell blood." Judy tensed up more, her nose very much on the wiggle. They were too late. Whatever happened, they were clearly too late. These claw marks, long and deep in the drywall, were proof of that.

"Sound?" Nick barely whispered.

"No," Judy replied, but put her ear up against the bedroom door all the same. This yielded no additional noise. She finally nodded to Nick, and the fox opened the door.

Two things were immediately obvious about the bedroom. First, it had been lived in.

Second… it had probably been died in.

Nick cupped his muzzle. The room was kind of weird to begin with because there were mattresses all over the floor, two deep. It was like the bedroom had been converted into a makeshift bounce-house or something. Judy might have laughed at the obvious insinuation if it were not for the wide splash of blood on the wall, a large hole in the wall with more blood, and plenty of blood on the mattresses themselves.

"I'll… I'll call it in," the fox stated in a grave tone. Judy winced at that. While Nick wasn't exactly friends with Mike, he did know the guy. And Vivienne, oh poor Viv! She worked with him. Mike did do occasional deliveries for her. She'd be so unhappy to know something this terrible happened to him.

Nick provided dispatch with their location so that Pawlander could bring a team. It was a grim task to be done here, and it honestly reminded the doe of the hotel room that Ukweli had been in. It wasn't quite as bad, but it was certainly sufficient to believe that they would not be arresting Mike at the end of all this.

Judy carefully moved about the room, trying not to step on any blood or anything else that might be important evidence. The blood was still red, and still appeared somewhat wet. It had not been long ago that everything went wrong for the hiding coyote. She knew what she was trying to find. A fight like what would do that much damage to a room did not happen without leaving evidence.

"I think this is what you're looking for," Nick mentioned, pointing out a tuft of white fluff on the edge of one skewed mattress.

Cherry had white fur. Mike did not.

"Crap," sighed Judy. That was a terrible sign.

"What's this?" Nick pushed his foot on the mattress he was standing on a bit more, testing it, then knelt down and pulled a cell phone out from under it.

"Maybe it's got call records or something that could help?" Judy offered.

"Probably," Nick replied. "It's still got juice." He held it up to show that it was on.

"Forensics can probably unlock it," the bunny added.

"No need," her fox replied. He turned the phone sideways and drew an 'M' on the screen. It unlocked.

"Really?" Judy dropped blankly.

"Some guys are just easy to read," the vulpine explained.

"Or you just watched him enter it once and have a habit of memorizing various mammals' unlock patterns," his doe accused.

"That too," he responded with a smug grin. So often his normal habits were pure gold during an investigation.

"See anything?" the bunny asked, nose still twitching as she went up on her toes to try to peer up at the phone where her mate was holding it in front of his face.

"He's gotten calls from this number here… woah…" He scrolled down slowly. "They called him yesterday 170 times."

"Okay, that's gotta be it," Judy assured. That was definitely the mark of an obsessed wolf. She messaged Clawhauser to see if he could get a trace on the number.

"I have a bunch of text messages from it too, oh yeah, that's our girl," Nick indicated.

As he scrolled, Judy read a few of them.

 _How could you?_

 _You weren't there for them._

 _They_ ** _needed_** _you_

 _Where did you think you could go?_

 _I know where you are._

 _I'm coming for you._

 _You can babysit them soon._

 _I'm gonna let you starve like you let them starve._

 _How long can you last?_

 _Soon_

 _Hear that, Mike?_

 _Can you hear it?_

The messages sped up the wiggling of bunny nose tenfold and she had to shake her head. That was _not_ evidence of a mentally stable lupine.

Nick spoke up, finally. "The last message was at like… three this morning. I bet he was sleeping when she got here… Damn…" Nick rubbed the back of his neck. Judy felt helpless. They could have helped him if he'd come to them. They would have helped him.

"Wait, so… this message…" Judy pointed to it. "She's … She said she was gonna starve him. Do you think maybe she took him somewhere? To do that?" She didn't want to just give up on him. She wasn't good at giving up. That had been made clear many times over.

"Huh… Provided whatever made _this_ mess didn't kill him." Nick put his paws in his pockets, tail drooped low. He did not seem to believe that had a lot of chance.

Judy jumped as her phone rang, and she answered immediately.

"Hey, Mizzus Officer Wilde!" came the bubbly tone of their cheetah dispatcher.

"Hey, Clawhauser. Any luck?" the doe questioned.

"Yeah, actually. It's a land-line, so it's a solid lead!" he expressed exuberantly.

"Wait, really?" Judy asked. Her fox perked up, making it clear he'd heard the cheetah. Ben wasn't exactly soft-spoken so it wasn't a surprise.

"It's a residence on an island off the coast at the edge of the canal district," he explained. "I looked it up. The place is tiny… has only one house. Supposed to belong to a Meeka Garou."

"That's a wolf name," Nick interrupted. Judy's heart hammered.

"Thanks Clawhauser. Can you shoot the address to me in a text message? Also, update Pawlander and dispatch Pennington. We may need a little extra mass."

Nick and Judy both left the apartment in a hurry. They headed for the window and went immediately out onto the fire escape, not hazarding the dark stairwell again. There was no need to hide their presence by that point.

"Nick," Judy puffed, going down a ladder.

"Way ahead of you. I've got our Zuber inbound."

Judy tried to take longer drops down each ladder. "We might not have much time! We don't know how bad he's hurt, if he even made it," the bunny panted, hopping down to the next fire escape platform. Vivienne would be so upset. Judy just couldn't let that happen. Not if she could help it. Nick jumped down after her.

"Hopefully… we'll get someone who… isn't afraid to put the pedal to the metal," her partner grunted. Coming down was certainly way faster than going up, and they soon hopped down to the top of the closed dumpster again. They darted from the alleyway and waited anxiously outside Judy's old apartment building. In the meantime, Nick made arrangements for a speedboat at the dock at the edge of the canal district. Their ride would be from the coastal clean-up department, to meet them when they arrived there. The two boats for the ZPD were on calls in the canal areas themselves and would take much longer to get there.

"I think that's us," Judy said, ear-perking at the sound of an engine. She turned to look in that direction.

"Huh… That's promising…" the bunny stated. It was a sports car. That was better than being picked up in an anemic little compact, at least.

"How right you are, Fluff," her fox replied, wringing his paws together, grinning like an idiot. Judy stepped back as the red and white vehicle pulled up. She felt like she'd seen it somewhere before.

As the muscle car pulled in front of the Grand Pangolin Arms with a shuddering rumble of its engine, the window hummed softly as is lowered. Judy's eyes went wide. The sloth in the driver's seat slowly grinned.

"Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiick."


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:**

 _Remember when Nick and Judy dealt with seriously dangerous cases not directly involving cheese? Alps Sarsis remembers._

 ** _If you are just joining Guardian Blue for the first time,_** _you will want to check out Season 1 and 2 first, and I would highly recommend Thanks for the Fox even before that as well so everything makes sense. ^^ Duke of Absolution will likely also be needed. This story is getting big._

 _I am a fan, writing fan fiction. I think it's established by now that I respect Disney's ownership of all things Zootopia. Except Motti. Motti is mine FOREVER._

 _Also! Another HUGE shout-out to J. N. Squire for assisting with editing for Season 3. Also, I would like to extend a special thank you to a few others who are helping me to keep updating and keep the quality high even with my busy schedule, and my friend Alex who helps me greatly with beta-reading!_

 **Guardian Blue: Season Three**

 _Episode 9: Broken_

 _Nothing about this is by the book._

She had promised herself, and acting Chief Tora that she'd try hard to more closely follow procedure. Judy considered that very loudly in her head as the engine of this familiar muscle car revved even louder. The officers wove through light freeway traffic, Judy in Nick's lap as there was not a small mammal booster in this vehicle. They were heading north. Judy knew that Flash could drive fast. She pulled him over for driving ridiculous speeds, and despite his attempt to cash in a favor from Nick, they were forced to fine him heavily for his transgression. Judy suspected the sloth might have been hesitant to even accept them as passengers because of that. Had he lost his job at the DMV? Why was he a Zuber driver now? The bunny wanted to ask, but figured they'd be at their destination by the time he finished answering.

And at the speed they were going, that was very likely the case. Nick pulled her tighter into his lap, perhaps being able to tell how anxious she was. This arrangement too was not specifically legal, and certainly not safe, but the doe had to agree that they probably couldn't have even gotten to the dock in a squad car as fast as the sloth could get them there.

At least Flash was being safe about it. Judy didn't really have to tell him to lower his speed where it was needed. He wasn't ever more than about ten over the speed limit around other vehicles. He only opened it up where she would have in her squad car. He was an excellent driver, but that didn't make it any harder for Judy to feel comfortable watching him make only tiny motions on the steering wheel here and there. It was electronic, and read such small movements that the car responded appropriately as they took turns and went around curves. The bunny was sure he had to train himself to use this driving system, but natural ability was still a factor there.

There was a reason he, as a sloth, could drive that fast. Flash himself might be slow, but his mental reaction time clearly was not. The bunny wondered if sloths ever felt trapped in their bodies if they really did think fast enough to drive the way he did. They didn't seem unhappy at least, so it might just have been the kind of thing one was used to because that was life.

"Told you he was the fastest guy there," Nick chuckled. Judy pulled at the seat belt that went over her lap. It was there, but it provided little reassurance as they raced into the canal district. They pulled onto the Fisher Street, a narrow strip that was lined on both sides by shops and docks and the like. At the end of this strip there was a wide wooden dock that terminated in a T shape where their boat would be waiting. By the red and blue lights ahead, it was obvious that Pennington was already on scene. She was in the area already and did not have to wait on a Zuber. She probably hadn't been there long, even still.

Judy was temporarily distracted from the uncomfortable velocity they were moving by the sudden intensely _slow_ speed of Flash speaking.

"Guys…" The bunny glanced up, suddenly clutched a little tighter in the lap of her partner. She knew immediately why Nick's grip changed. Flash's eyes were wide, an expression of slowly increasing concern in them. That's not what you want to see on the face of your ground-based rocket pilot.

"Uh…" the bunny responded, waiting for his sentence to continue.

"It has… recently… come…" Judy's ears ached from listening to every sound this frightened-looking sloth was saying. "to my… attention…"

" _What_?" Judy pressed, as if he'd just talk faster. Even Bellwether hadn't ended up with a sentence this long.

"My… Brakes…" he continued. Judy flipped immediately in crisis mode. The word brakes was instantly the most terrible thing a sloth had ever said to her.

"No. No, no, no." She pressed herself back against Nick, watching the end of the docks coming up fast. The car was suddenly way slower than her pulse. Nick tightened his grip on her as well, squeezing her close.

"Carrots," he murmured, as if not knowing what else to say in their little bit of time left.

"Are… Out…" came the next few slowly squeezed out words. This was it. Game over. What a silly way to go. In a car, going a buck ten over the end of the dock. That end was so rapidly approaching.

"Ffff…" the bunny hissed with her top teeth over her lip, going rigid when she knew she should be going limp. It was a hard reflex to fight.

The sloth spoke one more word. "…standing." She was suddenly pressed forward heavily, Nick's body squeezing her against the lap-belt as he put a paw out against the dash to reduce the unintentional seat belt embrace, but Nick holding her so tightly helped a lot with that. Judy's eyes bulged out as the car so quickly came to a perfect stop without even skidding.

She turned her head in time to watch Flash's expression melt slowly from that terrified one to a literal Nick-smug smile. She stared at him in shock, ears back, panting. Slowly, her paw moved to the seat belt and clicked it to release her. Nick snatched her as she attempted to hurl herself into the driver's seat, trying to grab the sloth to drag him out of the car. Now was not a time for smug expressions. Now was a time for violence!

"You know he loves jokes, Fluff!" Nick laughed, hauling the flailing bunny out of the vehicle.

"I'm gonna fold him like _laundry_!" the bunny shouted. Her heart was still thundering.

"Later, we gotta get to Mike, remember?" Judy snapped a glance back at Nick. He was grinning too.

"You knew he was gonna do it!" she shouted, flailing at the fox instead as he put her back on her feet.

"You love roller coasters and stuff! I figured that stuff was _fun_ for you!" the fox laughed. She tried to stomp his swishy silly tail.

"Of course you two were friends in high school! You're just alike!" she followed Nick, shaking her paws to work out the adrenaline as she heard Flash laughing with his slow 'Ha… Ha… Ha…' behind her.

"You two got here quick!" Francine Pennington expressed as she stood on a boat that honestly seemed too small for an elephant. There was a very old goat there to drive it. Judy was still nearly panting as they got on the tug-boat-looking affair.

"Nick's high school buddy drove us," the lapine grunted, punching her partner in the arm.

"Oh dear," laughed the elephant, shaking the boat as she did so. Judy braced herself, not really caring for boats anyway.

"Ready?" called the goat.

"Ready, Marco!" Pennington answered. Judy wondered if they'd been talking long, or if they already knew each other. This was part of the elephant's usual beat. The boat lurched as the engine thundered. It was loud, but the boat itself wasn't moving that terribly fast. Not compared to the sloth's car, at least. Even Skye didn't drive that fast. The bunny glared at her husband, but then sighed. She couldn't be too upset with him. Flash obviously had control of that situation and she had been well over the line into offensive territory the first time she dealt with the sloth, so she probably kinda had that coming.

Nick was also right in that they had bigger things to deal with.

Francine spoke loudly over the engine. "It's just one small house on that island, but it's got woods around it, so I don't think we'll be able to see the place well when we get to the dock. We should be able to tell if someone's there, though, because…"

"There'll be a boat," Nick completed for her.

"Right-o." she responded. "So, Sargents Wilde, what's our plan of approach here?"

It was so easy to forget that they were now the supervisors in this case. Francine was helping them, sure, but she was also following their orders.

Judy's mate spoke loudly. "We'll have to come at the island with motor on very low from the East side." He held up his phone high for the very tall elephant to see. Judy couldn't see it well, but immediately understood why as she considered the shape of the very tiny island they were rumbling toward. The layout of the little parcel of land meant there was a hill on the east side of the house that would mask the sound of the motor and hide their approach. They needed to surprise the wolf to increase the chances that Mike would not be further harmed. Still, the doe did not hold out much hope for him. Not with the mess that the penthouse of her former apartment building had been.

The watercraft continued to rumble softer and softer as they moved toward it, the captain following Nick's instructions to slow down and make their approach quieter the closer they got. There was a bit of chop on the water, the wind whipping over them from the direction of the island to hide their smell as well, which was a blessing. Wolves had a keen sense of smell.

They finally made their way to the island itself. It couldn't have been more than a half mile across. The bunny was suddenly reminded of their attempt to stop Orson from killing Porcintia. That had not been so long ago, but it felt like ages had passed.

Nick turned to the goat as the boat listed hard with the elephant stepping into the shallow water. "Okay, you need to be about a hundred feet off shore. Far enough that you have time to get out of the way if the wolf shows up without us, and close enough that we can get to you fast if we need to retreat."

"Got it, mate!" the goat saluted.

"It's a wolf. I feel like we've got this," Francine stated, using her trunk to wrap around Nick's waist and carefully pick him up off the boat and place him on dry land. Judy simply jumped the distance at the same time. She honestly didn't really like being picked up by anyone but her fox.

Nick responded. "You don't know this wolf. I've seen her in action. The only reason I didn't bring more than one elephant is I felt pretty sure Tora would say it was misuse of resources. That said, this is a lupine residence. You probably won't be able to get in through the door."

"Okay, I guess I should have thought about that myself," Pennington mused, putting her stubby elephant hoof/hand under her chin. "But why bring me then?"

Nick unholstered his tranquilizer pistol, stuffing a red-tufted large-mammal cartridge in it. He spoke darkly. "I _do_ know this wolf, and can assure you, we will almost certainly need someone who can easily carry an unconscious lupine all the way back to the boat." Judy nodded slowly to the nervous-looking pachyderm. They moved together up the hill. They would get a better idea of how to approach the house from there, and were pretty sure the wolf would be focused on the dock if she were watching for unexpected guests.

One advantage that Nick brought up, whispering as they moved up the steep hill, was that Mike tried very hard not to be involved with police, so the chance of cops coming to save him was really low. Still, that apartment was a terrible crime scene. She had to know someone would investigate that when it was found.

The forest was fortunately pretty comfortable in terms of temperature. The breeze off the water helped with that, and also helped mask their approach since the leaves were pretty thick on the ground. They crested the top of the hill and ducked down, able to see that there was someone there in the more carefully tended yard. A wolf.

The white-toned lupine was everything that Nick said she'd be. A yellow-eyed wall of canine power. She had to be nearly seven feet tall, making her more than a head taller than Wolfard, and easily twice his weight. One thing that was immediately evident looking at her was that she was injured. She was favoring one leg, though not heavily, and had bandages on her arm. There was red staining the front of her body, turning slightly coppery in her fur. She wasn't wearing a shirt, so that was easy to see. Blue denim jeans offered some modesty, but she had every reason to think she had the island to herself. Her fur appeared glossy and wet, so she'd probably been trying to clean off the blood.

"Looks like she took some damage in the fight too," whispered Judy as low as she could.

Nick spoke too, though it was hard to hear him over a sudden rush of wind. "Well, she did give the … warning of her approach. Maybe … that blood wasn't all his. I have trouble... that he got away, but if that wasn't his blood, maybe he's not … gone." Cherry sniffed at the air, and then turned and walked back inside.

Judy murmured softly, "She's being cautious. We need to be very careful."

"Pennington?" Nick asked. He was only a little bit louder since Cherry went back inside. The elephant touched him on the head with her trunk instead of verbally answering. "We will go down first. When you see us enter the apartment, move down the hill. I can't risk your weight giving away our approach. Do not hesitate to start down the hill once we are in." Francine nodded slowly.

"Wildes," the elephant whispered. "Tora is right that… the job is especially dangerous for you sometimes. If it gets hot in there, get out quick and I'll equalize things for you, okay?"

"Absolutely," Nick replied hastily. He and Judy both crept down the hill, using larger tree trunks as cover and peeking around them until they were in view of the back door of the quaint island home. Was it actually hers? Had she just broken into it while the owners were away? It was hard to say.

Coming into view of the door provided additional evidence of how comfortable the large white lupine was there. The door had been simply left open. It led into a laundry room that was attached to a kitchen. It was easy to see inside that far, but neither Mike nor the wolf appeared to be in view.

"So… we just… walk in and confront a mentally unstable wolf?" Judy softly implied. That was the apparent plan, but she wanted to make sure that was what her fox understood too.

"It's better than having to bunny-kick the door in, I guess..." he whispered.

"Plan A to Plan C?" the doe asked. This was a normal tactic the pair used when dealing with high-risk situations. Judy would go first because larger mammals did not regard her as a threat and would ignore the presence of a silently skulking fox while they focused on intimidating Judy. Nick, one of the best shots in the ZPD, would have an opportunity to get a clear shot if the initial contact went south. Fortunately, it rarely went that far, but on two other occasions it had. As a tactic, it was proven, so they felt some confidence in that. Still, Judy's heart was back to the flurry it had been less than a half hour before in Flash's car.

"Try not to be seen until we know the coyote's there. I'll be behind you. Signal me with one for wolf, two for coyote, and three for both. Ready?" Nick said in a hushed voice. Judy nodded, and stood up, carefully padding over to the door. She jumped slightly as she heard an explosion, but it was muffled and not that incredibly loud. A television. The wolf was watching TV. She exhaled slowly. That might work in her favor.

Slowly, Judy entered, able to smell cooked… something. It was probably bug protein of some kind. One of those thick patties of it one could buy in the supermarket. She tolerated tuna okay, but could not see herself getting a mouthful of that stuff. She crept slowly through the kitchen, watching the one doorway that lead into a short hall which, based on sound, was attached to the living room. There was a huge knife on the counter. The bunny thought ahead and just… tucked that in a lower cabinet. It was better that weapons were not left where a possible assailant remembered they would be. It could give the two officers a few extra seconds they needed. Judy released the clip on the holster of her tranq pistol. She might need it fast.

"Oh it's on now," growled the lady wolf darkly, making Judy draw her weapon in an instant. But Cherry was still in the living room, around the corner. She was talking to the TV. There were more explosions, gunfire by the sound of it. It was a war-movie, most likely. The doe peeked back over her shoulder, seeing her partner's ears over the island counter of the kitchen. He was in with her. She wasn't alone. Having Nick behind her made her feel so much better. She focused again, fearful, but encouraged. They had to know at least if their coyote was here.

The doe slipped carefully down the hallway, regarding a bathroom to her right. The floor had a bunch of used brownish bandages. If the coyote somehow got Cherry, he got her pretty good. Maybe Mike wasn't a slouch in a fair fight after all. The bathroom also smelled strongly of some kind of chemical. It might have been antiseptic or rubbing alcohol or something. The bunny was able to see a decorative mirror on the wall in the living room from her vantage point. She couldn't see where the wolf was, but she saw their other target and it hurt so much to see him like that. He was bound in a recliner tightly with rope, arms behind his back, feet locked together. He had on a muzzle, one that covered pretty much everything but his nostrils, with a stack of burgers in his lap.

She was making good on her threat to starve him, it appeared, but was torturing him by leaving food right within reach. She laughed as something she deemed as funny happened on screen. The coyote was kind of watching, but appeared pretty weak or tired. Judy held a paw behind her back, three fingers down. The signal. She was aware that both the coyote and the wolf were in the living room.

Mike lifted his head slowly, visage miserable, and then his brown eyes went wide.

Judy knew in a second. She could see him in the mirror. He could see her. He shook his head quickly, glancing in the direction of the wolf with a pained expression. It was dangerous. Judy knew that of course. She kept her weapon drawn, aware of Cherry's location because of the motion of Mike's eyes. He'd helped her whether he realized it or not. The coyote looked pained as Judy simply casually walked right out into the living room, her tranq pistol leveled right at the center of mass of the wolf sitting in a second recliner, her big canine foot-paws up and comfy.

Cherry froze, yellow eyes wide as the uniformed bunny stood before her.

Judy spoke in her most confident and commanding tone. "Cherry, you are under arrest for communicating threats, breaking and entering, and kidnapping. Please stand up and turn around with your paws behind your back."

Mike whined loudly, and despite having a muzzle, his only nasally word was clear.

"Run!"

"Oh sweetie, I'm not scared of a little bun-bun..." The wolf slowly stood up, arching her back, suggesting she was sore.

"Nuuu!" whined Mike again. He was obviously telling the bunny to run.

"I take it the place is surrounded?" asked the wolf.

"Pretty much," Judy fibbed.

Those yellow eyes widened along with a very disturbing grin. Cherry spoke darkly. "Just how I like it."

Mike freaked out, struggling in his ropes. He cried out through the muzzle, unable to open his mouth to really speak except through his teeth. "Nuu! Gid out! Sheesh been washing akshun mervies fer two daysh!"

It was hard to understand him, but context helped. She'd been watching action movies. She was hyped up.

"Oh crap," Judy blurted, the wolf taking a step toward her. Cherry was not married to reality. She thought she could beat a house surrounded by the ZPD. Judy kept her pistol leveled at Cherry.

"You don't need to do this. Don't add to your charges. Just surrender and come quietly. Being tranqed is really unpleasant!" She wanted to fulfill her obligation of warning before she fired if there was any chance of talking the wolf down. Cherry wasn't armed, but she didn't need to be. She could do terrible damage to another mammal without one.

So far, she seemed unaware that Nick was also in the house. It's why Judy had immediately stepped into the living room. That's how this plan worked. Now there were two tranq darts at the ready, as Nick had mentioned might be required.

"I'm gonna use you to slap around your buddies outside, Judy Hopps," Cherry growled. Oh. The news was still available in the hospital, the bunny guessed. She knew who this bunny was.

"Wrld," the coyote tried to correct. Cherry ignored him.

"Sorry, not gonna happen," the doe grunted loudly. "Last warning. Turn around, put your paws over your head, and you can make things better for yourself."

"You are so cute," Cherry laughed. "...not for long, but right now, anyway." She then lunged for Judy. Mike cried out into his muzzle, and the bunny bounced up and back against the wall, springing easily over Cherry's head. She turned in mid air.

 _Fwip-thak_!

The dart was fired and hit its target, right in Cherry's left shoulder blade. Cherry turned around. Judy expected her to stagger and drop. This was the tranq load-out used on Tora with immediate results.

"Naughty bunny," the utterly unaffected lady wolf growled as she grinned.

Judy's eyes went wide. She reached for the next cartridge in her belt, but had to scramble to the side as Cherry laughed and jumped toward her, claws out. Why didn't the dart have any effect? Had other mammals gotten the formula for the anti-tranq serum?

"Cherry, I'd advise you not to touch that bunny!" Nick gave away his position to help his partner. This whole thing had gone south in a heartbeat. The wolf spun around.

"Oh, little Nicky Wilde? Is that you?" crooned the wolf. He had his tranq pistol pointed at her. "You are even cuter than the bunny in that little uniform!"

Nick stayed focused. "This has gone too far, Cherry. You can't change the past, but you can make a better future. Don't do any more of this. Just stop and think, okay?" The fox was trying to talk to her as if the pups she'd 'lost' had not been stuffed toys. That was sometimes okay, but validating her loss in this case was not likely to calm her down. Still, Nick knew her better. Maybe he'd had to talk her down some time in their shared past.

"I'm not the crazy monster here Nicky!" barked the wolf angrily, pointing at Mike. " _He_ is. He's the one who got me locked up and no one was there to feed our babies!"

"Ther wernd rrl!" he whined through clenched teeth. "Yer imag'nrng 'm!"

"Shut it!" she shouted, moving to put a heavy fist into the coyote.

 _Thwip-tak_!

Another dart, this one fired by Nick. It went into the wolf's side and stuck fast.

"It's not working!" Judy informed, sure that her partner could already tell.

"Erprxy!" whined the tied up coyote.

 _Thump_!

He took a hard shot to the gut, groaning out hard through the muzzle. He then whined, seeing that the stack of burgers had fallen onto the floor.

"What?!" cried Judy, not quite understanding what he said.

"Judy! Epoxy! She's not wet!" shouted Nick, immediately jumping back. Cherry spun around to confront the fox, ignoring the bunny for the moment. This time, it didn't really provide the pair with any advantage. Nick was agile enough that he ducked under a claw-slash from the huge wolf, making it safely to the other side of the room. The lupine snarled, all her teeth bared as if she'd been hit with Nighthowler. She grabbed Mike, making it obvious he was bound up, but not actually secured to the chair.

"Oh sweet cheese and..." The bunny was cut off because she had to duck a coyote thrown at her. He slammed hard into the wall, and the doe felt bad for being unable to catch him. She was still just a bunny!

"Errrrnnn..." groaned the muzzled canid, content to just lay right there for the moment.

Judy moved quickly over beside Nick.

"What the heck!?" She loaded her tranq pistol again quickly. What good was it gonna do though? Cherry had covered her fur with epoxy resin. She had made a hard shell out of her fur. She wasn't walking weird because she was injured, it was because it was stiff in places. She was mostly dart-proof. Nick suddenly picked up his bunny and bolted for the front of the room.

"No you don't!" laughed Cherry, moving to put herself between them and the front door. Panting from the sudden rush of adrenaline and motion, Nick stared down the larger wolf.

"Stop while there is still a back to go to!" Nick shouted.

"R'm sr srry..." sobbed the coyote laying on his side along the living room wall.

"I never wanted to hurt you, fox. Kinda liked you. A lot, really. But… justice will not be denied." The wolf leaned down and picked up the smaller coyote easily.

"Please don't do this," Nick huffed.

"What does _he_ matter to you?" asked the furious wolf.

"He's a friend," Judy replied, the coyote's eyes shut tight at that. He was ashamed, likely for things Judy didn't want to know about.

"Well, that's bought you only one opportunity," growled Cherry, wicked grin spreading over her wide muzzle.

"What's that?" Nick inquired in a wavering tone.

"You get to say goodbye to him first," Cherry snarled, moving her claws up to the coyote's neck. Judy went tense. She'd seen the sad result of murder before, but she'd not watched it happen to someone she knew. The coyote whined pitifully, hanging limply in the wolf's vice-like arm. "Any last words for Mike Latrans?" she growled.

"Knock knock," Nick said in a louder voice. Judy's jaw went slack. What?

Cherry tilted her head in that usual canid fashion and responded. "Huh? Oh, uh… Who's th..."

An elephant trunk burst suddenly though the small window of the front door that their assailant was standing in front of. It snared the wolf around her thick fluffy neck. Cherry grunted and dropped Mike as she was yanked back hard, the door cracking as she was jerked three more times _hard_ against the door, the wooden surface being used to beat the wolf into nearly limp submission by the huge officer on the other side. Nick and Judy were both in mortal danger and Pennington was not messing around. She then dropped Cherry onto her front and the door exploded outward, hauled out of its hinges by an incredibly powerful elephant trunk. Not all of Francine had to fit in the house, after all. That trunk was then used to grab Cherry by the ankles as she was hauled violently out the door, deep claw marks on the hardwood entryway.

Nick sighed with relief. "Well, that could've gone better." He got on his knees quickly and worked to remove the muzzle on Mike's face. He was crying, which was understandable. He was about to die.

Judy worked at the other bindings on the coyote's legs. "It's okay, we've got her. We're gonna get you some help, okay?" She tried to comfort him as she removed the ropes. They had to hurry. Francine might actually need help if the stunned wolf regained her senses.

"I tried to get away from her, but she blocked the windows," he sputtered. "I'm sorry I'm being so… I just… She was gonna..." Judy pinched his ear to get his attention.

"It's okay. We're ZPD officers. This is what we do," she clarified. It wasn't just about him. Judy couldn't help but think that he might be more inclined to cooperate with their cheese investigation at that point though. She managed to get his feet free.

"Can you stand?" asked the fox.

"Y-yeah," grunted the coyote, sitting up.

"Alright, I'm gonna check and see if Pennington needs any assistance with your ex," Nick added. Judy nodded at that. Francine was an elephant, and that usually offered some advantage over a wolf, but that didn't mean they'd just leave her to it without support.

With the coyote released enough that he could get out of the way if he needed to, the other two officers went outside.

And found Pennington on her belly on the lawn, her own trunk wrapped around her neck, being pulled tight by the wolf that was on the huge elephant's back. Francine looked horrified. She clearly didn't expect to be overpowered by this canine and strangled by her own trunk!

"Oh shi-" Nick plucked a red out of his belt clip and took a leap at Cherry. This made her at least let go of the poor elephant's trunk. Unfortunately, it meant she had a paw free to hit Nick with everything she had. He hooked away from the wolf at a weird angle, up and to the right, and then chuffed into the bushes. Judy immediately understood what Nick was trying to do, however, and grabbed her last remaining red as well. She hoped her husband was okay, but couldn't help him if she froze up right then!

"No!" cried Mike as Judy darted to intercept Cherry who was dashing toward the petrified coyote. "You're crazy - get out of here!" Cherry did not regard Judy as much of a threat, so she was focused solely on getting her justice against her ex lover. "Oh crap!" Mike stumbled backward to try to get out of the way.

This made it possible for Judy to do what her fox intended.

Francine was getting back up, coughing from the attempted garrotting, but the lady wolf didn't care. She wanted Mike.

She moved to grab the earth-toned canid, but suddenly went down on one knee.

"What the..." She looked behind her, seeing Judy spring back. The bunny had grabbed her remaining tranq dart and slammed it into the back of the wolf's knee. There was no epoxy there because she needed to be able to bend her knee. It was unprotected and safer to get to than, say, her face.

"It's over. Don't move!" Judy shouted.

Cherry stared at Judy. "Oh, you're dead, Officer Hopps-enpfeffer." This was delivered as if a simple observation. The tranq was supposed to go into the center of mass to ensure that it made it through the body quickly. Hitting a limb made it take longer.

The wolf wouldn't need long. She got up, holding a foot-paw off the ground.

"Bunny! Run for fox sake!" cried Mike.

Judy, out of stronger tranq cartridges, tried to verbally get control of the situation once more. She needed to check on her partner. She panted out, "Even on an island, you can't chase a bunny forever on one leg. You need _help_. Just stop!" Judy commanded. She had never seen such a determined assailant.

"Elephant, don't you have a tranq gun too?" whined Mike. The lady wolf ignored him as she slowly approached Judy, limping, grinning.

"I don't have fingers, brush-puppy!" the elephant snapped. She got back up and approached the wolf, winded but beginning to recover.

"I don't have to chase you," the wolfess stated, leaning down and picking up an entire outdoor potted palm in a heavy stone pot. "Can you catch this in your trunk, I wonder?" She grinned fiercely at the elephant who had enough reason to pause. That could hurt.

Crap. Judy backed up as well. It would do way worse to a bunny.

At that exact moment, she saw Nick simply hop up on the towering white lupine's shoulders and with a jab, in went a red-tufted dart, right to the side of Cherry's neck.

"Nooooo…" she groaned before dropping back to her knee, and then falling heavily to the side, eyes only slightly open, locked hatefully on Judy. That expression softened as unconsciousness followed. Nick just remained on her back. He was breathing in such a way that it was obvious he was in pain. The bunny was by his side immediately as Francine slipped behind them both to put pawcuffs on the massive white wolf who now lay limply on the lawn.

"I'm okay," Nick grunted, rubbing his side. That was probably where that punch connected. "I caught the beginning of that punch, not the end, fortunately." Judy tried not to touch, all the same. Her mate was gonna be sore from that. Poor fox.

"What the heck's wrong with this one?" Francine asked desperately. "I wrestled a Nighthowlered _polar bear_ and it wasn't that strong!"

"She's kinda broken," Nick replied. "We'll explain on the way. We need to get her to the station quickly before she wakes up so we can get some stronger restraints on her and some diffuser in her so she doesn't get messed up from a double-red."

"Uh… where's Mike?" Judy interrupted, realizing suddenly they were short a coyote.

They all did a quick visual sweep, not seeing him immediately anywhere. Judy suspected that might have been so terrifying to him that he was already waiting on the boat.

However, a moment later, he emerged from the ripped-open front door of the house, several bug-burgers in his paws and one in his muzzle. He looked down, ears back.

"Dun jufdge me." He stumbled ahead of Judy, over by the elephant as she hefted the unconscious wolf over her shoulder. "She won't be so bad if we can get her medicine," Mike whimpered. "I can't believe you guys actually saved me..." He fell into step beside the officers. "Is there anything I can do? I mean it, Wilde. Anything. Your mom needs deliveries? Help in the kitchen?" The canid fired away suggestions for how he'd repay the officers for his rescue frantically.

"No, she's fine, Mike," Nick returned in a tone that suggested that he was ultimately uncomfortable with the coyote offering to assist Vivienne.

"Mike, do you know anything about fake celebrity cheese?" Judy asked, immediately avoiding a protracted discussion about how Vivienne didn't need more criminals working for her. Nick could be protective.

"Uh… What?" The coyote turned and tilted his head. He walked ahead of the officers, likely not wanting to give away that he knew anything by his expression. The back of his shirt was open and red. He had been clawed brutally down his back but it was not actively bleeding. Some of the blood in the apartment, at least, was his.

"Wait, really?" Pennington deadpanned, the wolf slung over their shoulder as the walked around the edge of the island toward the boat. "This is seriously… the stupid … harmless … cheese case?" She fell behind the walking smaller trio.

"Yup," Nick responded, wincing slightly as he hopped down from a fallen tree he was walking along. "That was our assignment, why else would we be here?" he asked.

"Oh my god, Fangmeyer was right," the elephant stated. "You'd have taken down the Department of the Interior even if the chief gave you parking duty! This stuff comes and _finds_ you!"

The coyote finally sighed. He owed them and he knew it. "So... I'm not the guy behind it, you gotta believe me," he finally stated, putting the discussion back on track.

"Right, so, what direction do we need to look?" Nick inquired. "I know the drill. No names. Tell us where to go."

"Really? No guesses? You guys are big time, and you can't.. freaking _guess_?" asked Mike incredulously, cramming another cold burger into his maw.

"Mike, I will feed you to my _mom_." Nick growled.

"Right. Rats," explained the coyote, his muzzle full.

"Rats." Judy stopped walking. "Seriously?"

"Yeah," Mike explained. "Why would it not be? Check out Victor street. There's a club there..."

"Wait," Nick replied stumbled along directly behind his mate.

"I'm serious," reaffirmed the coyote. "Obviously, I've said nothing to you," he clarified.

"How the heck are we supposed to get into a mouse club?" Judy immediately asked the question that the coyote had created. She was sure that was Nick's question too.

"I feel like that's your job," came the reply from the coyote, taking another bite. "I can't help more than that without implicating myself. Gawd she's a good cook. I miss her."

"Dude," Nick bristled.

"It's enough," Judy stated, putting a paw up to calm her mate.

"It's hardly anything!" Nick grumbled.

"You aren't the only one with contacts," Judy returned with a grin.

"I..." Nick peered up at the unconscious wolf. They'd paid a hard price for this info.

"Nick," Judy pressed, showing confidence to her partner. They could play this lead.

"I… Okay. We can get it from here, Mike." Nick rubbed his side. The goat captain could see the boat approaching shore again. They were spotted carrying the wolf, as predicted. "You just… don't get any more involved. Stay away from it. We'll arrest you too, otherwise."

"Right yeah," he responded, seeming slightly distracted as he followed close behind the elephant. "Can I ask a favor?" Mike whispered very softly, seeming to want to avoid Pennington hearing it.

"Yeah?" Nick returned.

"Can we… get her some real help?" he indicated the lady wolf.

"Yeah, Mike," Nick responded.

"I promise," Judy added.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:**

 _In today's episode:_ _Tora's gonna be so angry._ _o.o_

 _ **If you are just joining Guardian Blue for the first time,**_ _you will want to check out Season 1 and 2 first, and I would highly recommend Thanks for the Fox even before that as well so everything makes sense. ^^ Duke of Absolution will likely also be needed. This story is getting big._

 _Time allowing, I will continue writing this long after Disney gets off their duff and makes more Zootopia, world-breaking be damned. But it still belongs to Disney and I am only the original creator of stories based on their original story._

 _Also! Another HUGE shout-out to J. N. Squire for assisting with editing for Season 3. Also, I would like to extend a special thank you to a few others who are helping me to keep updating and keep the quality high even with my busy schedule, and my friend Alex who helps me greatly with beta-reading!_

 **Guardian Blue: Season Three**

 _Episode 10:_ _Hazards_

The pair followed the police van that Pennington was driving with Flash still at the wheel. He had loyally waited for Nick and Judy to return from the island. Fortunately, the sloth did not try to inquire about the case, because that would have taken the entire ride back to the station.

Because the wolf in Francine's van was double-heavy-tranqed, they were moving fast down the highway, sirens blaring. There was the chance of permanent damage if a mammal got too much tranquilizer. It could even paralyze the subject's diaphragm and prevent them from breathing. Cherry, however, had been snoring when she was dumped in the back of the van, so this did not seem to be an immediate risk. Still, if she'd been taking other drugs or had been drinking before she got tranquilized, it could go bad quickly. They had the wolf under control, but there was still a genuine emergency.

So, Flash got to enjoy driving fast a little bit longer. Mike had been taken in an ambulance to get completely checked out, but had insisted he was okay. He provided Nick with new contact information for him after being reunited with his phone from the penthouse where Nick and Judy had found it. He wanted to be kept informed about how the wolf was doing.

During the transit from the island to the station, Judy took her phone out and made a call to the Bunnyburrow Gazette.

It took a couple of minutes of phone tag between departments, but Judy eventually found herself on hold. During that time, Nick had already confirmed to the station that they needed a medic on standby as they were bringing a hard-tranq case in. That was standard procedure. They would get Cherry in a secure place, then hit her with a diffuser to pull her out of her tranquilized state. Once she was secure, if they needed to administer lighter doses of tranquilizer that could be done by a medical professional more safely.

After being on hold for about five minutes, about half the trip to the station, Judy finally heard a more familiar voice, her intended contact.

"Tandy Brie, how may I help you?" came the sharp little greeting. Nick could hear that, apparently, as his triangular ears perked right up. Judy smiled at that. It was rare that she was the one who had the contact that they needed, and not her well connected Zootopian fox.

"Hey Tandy, it's Judy Wilde," returned the bunny.

"Oh, hey Judy!" came the much brighter, happy-sounding reply from the rat. "How're ya doing?"

"Doing alright. Hard at work, as you can guess," the bunny laughed.

"Not doing anything dangerous, I hope?" the rodent inquired, her smaller voice easy to hear on the phone because of the higher pitch.

"Not terribly, no," the doe lied. She wanted to get right to the point and the rat reporter would be dying for the details if she knew Judy had just been in a harrowing altercation with a psychotic and delusional wolf. "I was wondering if I might ask you about any contacts that you might have here in Zootopia who might be able to help my partner and I get some information on a case. It's… Well, the lead we have is maybe somewhat out of our reach, and we all know how investigating things can be in Little Rodentia."

"Oh, you sly bunny," Nick said under his breath with a wide grin, sending a thrill of happiness through his mate. Little Rodentia had its own police force, obviously, but it was easy to get a case quagmired in bureaucracy unless it was a public safety issue. Questions of jurisdiction often made it impossible to work a case in a timely fashion. It's why Mr. Big's empire had grown outside of that part of the city. The moment his enterprise became cross-jurisdiction, it became much harder to actually investigate him effectively. He could move entire warehouses and change his whole business model by the time the proper paperwork allowed a direct investigation inside the self-contained small-mammal-friendly part of the city.

Tandy considered that briefly, and then her voice chimed back over the phone, "I have a few contacts there, obviously, but as luck would have it, I'm actually in Little Rodentia myself, reporting on the Hamlin Festival. Maybe I could help you?" Judy dropped her ears back. She had completely forgotten about the Hamlin Festival. It was based on the Pied Piper story. An entire rodent settlement went missing long, long ago, and the spooky legend about it was that a dark stranger arrived one day and played a beautiful music that enticed the rats and mice to leave with the stranger. The legend said that everything was left as if the townsfolk simply blinked out of being. Half-eaten meals were on the table, journals stopped mid-sentence, and gardening implements were left in their yards.

Of course, this had happened more than two centuries before, and most historians suggested a lot of other possible causes for the missing settlement. Doubt was cast on some of the elements of it, like the meals half eaten and the journals stopping suddenly, but one actual journal did exist that spoke of strange music before the population went missing. Referred to as Tabitha's Journal, that's what started the legend. In Little Rodentia, they held a music festival in the summer to remember those lost, and stand in solidarity. It was about community and was always a festive event despite it's dark lore. Scary stories and fantastic costumes were popular, as were little noisemakers that created a snapping sound that the younger festival goers liked to use. Rodents would, during the height of the festival, form a long chain and dance in a sort of conga line from one side of Little Rodentia to the other down the main thoroughfare.

"Oh… Oh I don't want to impose so much… This might take hours," she expressed. She knew the Hamlin Festival was a lot of fun for the rodent population mostly because during it, it was hard to find those small enough to attend _anywhere_ in the city outside of that isolated borough.

Brie laughed on her end. "That's fine, I have most of the material I need, I've mostly been taking pictures of the decorations and floats, and taking in all the music. I got an exclusive interview with Nighthawk." Nick perked up at that.

"Oh, do tell!" he chimed. Nighthawk was a mouse-metal group. Judy listened more to pop, but she knew who they were at least.

"Nick! Hey!" squeaked Tandy.

"Focus, mammals," Judy groaned.

The rat on the other end laughed, getting called out for the distraction as she was. "Right… so… We can meet up at the High Gate Diner tonight and discuss things if you want?" the lady rat offered. "Name a time that works for you. I'm pretty free. I would love to help. You two helped me more than you realize."

"Things going well with your ferret friend I take it?" Nick prodded. Judy grinned. She had wondered about that herself.

"Quite!" she replied brightly.

The bunny nudged the conversation back on the rails. "I'm sure Nick knows where the High Gate is, but we're almost to the precinct so I will need to hop off the phone real quick. Let's try for seven, if we can?" Nick sometimes needed to be reigned in to keep conversations short. He was a very social mammal.

"That works for me," Tandy agreed.

"Thank you, see you then!" Judy returned, and disconnected the call.

"Hehehe… Hop off the call," Nick smugged, getting an elbow to his side since Judy was still in his lap. He flinched hard and whined. Judy whimpered in reply. She had forgotten that he took a hit from that wolf. That was far more painful than intended. He rubbed the spot and Judy leaned up and kissed his jaw.

"Waaaaaaaiiiiitt..." Flash spoke from the front seat, his eyes slowly going very wide. "Waaaaaaaat?"

Judy blushed. Oh. Nick hadn't had _time_ to tell his sloth friend.

"Long story, bud," he offered. "I'll send an email tonight, I promise. Gotta go for now though!" He managed to avoid a very, very long conversation as he and Judy got out behind Pennington's van.

"Yooouuuu…. Better..." the glaring sloth grumbled, his window going up before he pulled off and returned to Zuber functions.

Francine got out and opened the back door of the van. The wolf inside looked positively wrecked. She'd been perhaps rolling about in the back on turns and such, so her paws, cuffed together, were over her chest and her big feet kind of up in the air against the wheel well. Her tongue was way out, muzzle wide as she provided broken snoring as proof that she was out, but not gone. Nick carefully tested the two pair of pawcuffs, linked together due to how broad the lady wolf was.

"You know, you _can_ tell your friends we got married, Nick,"Judy complained as he did this.

"It's not the kind of thing you say in a text message, and time's been a little on the short side of late," Nick replied as Francine picked up the wolf carefully. "You could watch a whole feature-length film in the time it would take for me to answer all his questions about this." Judy nodded in understanding to her husband, just wanting to make sure they were not really trying ot fly under the radar with it at that point. As she glanced up at the wolf, she noticed some dark patches on the elephant's trunk coiled around her. That made it clear there was definitely going to be bruising. Still, Francine was very gentle with Cherry as she picked her up. That spoke highly of Pennington's character. Even to the other officers she was seen as caring and nurturing.

They walked together through the front doors of Precinct One and immediately encountered Daniel, the on duty meerkat medic who was waiting there to administer the diffuser. He cried out at the sight of Cherry being carried in.

"Oh good heavens! You double-heavied a _wolf_?!" He scrambled over, getting everyone's attention. "You didn't say it was a medium!" The huge white lupine drooled contentedly down Pennington's back. "Down. Put her down!" He desperately hopped around Francine, obviously trying to check on their subject. Daniel Surikata was never a field officer, but as a medic he was still an important member of the ZPD. Clearly alarmed, Clawhauser put down a little spray bottle he had been using to spritz a tiny bonsai tree on a shelf by his desk. Judy inwardly awwed. That had to have been a gift from Tora. It made sense though. It gave him something to do at his desk other than munch on a snack. It was smart.

"Hold up, Surikata, we need to get her to a more secure location," Nick informed. Daniel looked frantic.

"Every _second_ is a second too long. I'm ordering you, Officer Pennington, _down_." The smaller mammal put his paws on his hips and glared. While not an officer, he could give orders to officers where the health of another mammal was concerned. "This is a good way to get yourself suspended, you know that? This defies all _rational_ concept of appropriate escalation of force!"

Nick interjected, "We're wasting more time arguing, we just need to get her out of the lobby. I'll explain on the way." The fox was trying ot remain calm as Surikata became increasingly agitated.

Pennington put Cherry down gently and put her gray knuckles to her own hips, gesturing with her trunk. "The report will show this use of force was warranted – hey!" The meerkat was on Cherry in a second, pumping the diffuser right into her neck.

"Oh… Oh no." Nick groaned. Judy cupped her muzzle, ears pinned back hard. This was not a good place.

"Nnnnhhhh…" The soft groan from Cherry made it clear that the diffuser was working as intended. Fox, elephant, and bunny froze. Maybe she would have come down from her episode, and could be slightly more rational?

The meerkat moved closer and spoke with the large prone canine, literally standing on her chest. "Hey… It's okay, just relax. I'm Daniel Surikata with the ZPD, are you – GLK!" he was cut off by a huge paw grabbing his upper body tightly. Being in paw-cuffs did not prevent the wolf from grabbing the smaller mammal. Nope. She was not about to be rational.

"Baker 419, we need immediate backup in the precinct lobby!" Nick called loudly on the radio. "Subject is-" Nick was interrupted as Judy called out.

"Nick, she's crushing him!"

"Ben!" Nick yelled. "Need some help here!"

"Oh gosh!" Clawhauser moved surprisingly quickly from behind the counter. The morning runs with Tora appeared to have been paying off. He got onto his knees and pried Cherry's paw loose to free the medic, whose eyes had really started to bulge. The lady wolf rolled over suddenly and growled ferociously. Ben held up Surikata who was limp in his paws.

"Oh no. Dan?" he asked fearfully. Judy, being a small mammal herself, knew a compression knockout when she saw it. The sudden pressure on his circulatory system followed by suddenly being released made him faint. It was dangerous to be small sometimes.

"Paws up where I can see them!" called Detective Pawlander who had probably just done a mad dash from the interview rooms upstairs. He had a tranq pistol with yellow medium dart. Things were happening so fast.

"She's 10-96!" Judy called. This was the code for a mentally disturbed subject. Nick had not gotten to clarify anything after calling for backup.

"Seriously?" called the detective. Unfortunately, Judy's clarification got Cherry's attention right on her.

"Kill tha wabbit!" roared the wolf, her speech a bit slurred from being tranquilized so hard. She pulled her arms apart had and a metallic clink and the sound of metal clattering on the floor punctuated the obvious breaking of her paw cuffs. They were not made for mammals larger than a wolf, but they still should have held a wolf. That was not true for this one, however.

"Look out!" cried Clawhauser, as the wolf advanced on Judy. There was a thump as a dart hit the back of the rampaging canid's shoulder, fired by Pawlander. Judy took a leap up onto Clawhauser's desk. The dart didn't make it through the epoxy in the that matted down white fur. Judy bounced off the desk and up to the top of the shelf behind the it.

"Get back here, snack!" shouted the wolfess furiously.

"Cherry, you have to stop! This won't get better until you do! Please trust me!" the doe called from the shelf. The wolf gripped onto the edge of the top of the shelf to pull herself up, but she was having some trouble because she was still shaking off the numbness from the previous darting. There was another thump from a dart in the lady wolf's lower back as Pawlander fired again, this time a red one.

"Whuh? Huh, No!" cried Surikata, starting to come out of his fainted state due to some vigorous shaking by the concerned cheetah. "Stop, she's already been tranqed! Don't tranq her! Clawhauser, put me down!"

"Too late!" shouted Pawlander, moving quickly down the stairs.

"She's armored!" shouted Nick, loading a medium cartridge. "Epoxy in her fur. You have to shoot her in a joint!"

Nick called out on the radio to update officers on the status of the suspect, but was interrupted again as a small meerkat stomped past him, having to be pulled back by the fox.

"You'll do no such thing!" shouted the medic.

"Sir, get back, _please_!" Nick pressed.

"Epoxy in her _fur_?" responded Pawlander. He head-tilted. "Clever girl..."

The bunny's heart raced. This was instantly a crisis and it was right there in the ZPD lobby. If they didn't get things under control soon, there was real risk to other officer, and particularly to Cherry. Judy shouted, "Ben, Francine, hold her still so we can get her sedated again!"

"I'm on it!" Francine trumpeted.

"Careful with her!" the doe called from the top of the shelves.

"Riiiight," the elephant said, rolling her eyes. She advanced on the wolf. Cherry turned around, paws behind her back as she greeted Francine with a grin. The bright happiness of her smile was absolutely nuts given the situation, and made for a pause even from the pachyderm.

"Well, well, well, Nosy Posy, we meet again, but this time the advantage is mine!" laughed Cherry, wagging her tail. Nosy Posy was the gossipy, larger than life star of a popular elephant children's show. It was not a flattering comparison.

"I don't want to do this!" Francine said loudly. "You're not bad, you're just not well!" Deescalation was the name of the game in the ZPD and they did everything they could to prevent interactions becoming physical. It seemed like a fools errand with this wolf, however.

"Bring it, big girl!" growled the wolf, verifying that. Francine flicked out her trunk with a very promising right-hook style attack to take the wolf off her feet. Judy barely saw what an impressively fast block from Cherry, but after the block, something was clearly wrong.

Francine appeared shocked and her trunk just kind of hung there like a windsock on a stagnant summer day. There was a green tuft on the end of it. Cherry grinned, yellow eyes keen and intelligent. Judy cupped her little muzzle. When she put her paws behind her back she must have grabbed the dart.

"Oh dear," crooned Cherry melodically. "Oh well, hold this." she took two rapid steps to Officer Pennington and with a quick jab put the red-tufted dart in the elephant's left side.

"Dang it," grumbled Francine in a slowing, deepening voice. Slowly, down she went. The other officers watched in horror.

"Now… where was I?" growled the wolf. Judy's heart skipped a beat as Cherry hopped on her toes a bit, showing she was now more limber. The tranquilizer was absolutely on its way out. The top of the shelf was absolutely not a safe space anymore.

"Ben, get her away from Judy!" Nick shouted. The fox was small enough that a physical confrontation with the wolf was far too risky. Ben did as he was told, sprinting forward and snaring Cherry by her shoulder, jerking her back and sending her sliding on her back across the floor. Pawlander jumped onto her. He was a smaller wolf, but still fast and strong. He managed to get her onto her belly and began pulling her arm back to try to hold her still to allow another officer to help phsycally restrain her.

"Ben, your paw-cuffs!" Pawlander shouted. His were likely on a suspect upstairs. Ben reached for them, but the wolf her paw under her chest to flip herself and Pawlander both over with nearly no effort at all. She was immediately on top of him.

"Don't make this worse!" cried the detective, but she made it worse. There was a loud crack of heavy paw meeting the detective's jaw once, then a slap as she backhanded him from the other direction. Nick took a flying leap and put both foot-paws hard into Cherry's back to knock her off of Pawlander but he might as well have done the same thing to the outside of the building. She didn't move an inch.

Cherry deftly turned and grabbed the fox before he even could even land. She pushed Nick immediately to the cold tile, putting her full weight on him, paw drawn back to give him the Pawlander treatment right beside the likely unconscious detective. Judy cried out and took a large jump off of her shelf with a heavy dodge ball trophy in her paws. How the hell did Clawhauser even get this?

THUMP

She brought it down hard just off-center of the base of Nick's assailant's neck. She didn't want to really harm the wolf, but Cherry could quickly do so much damage to the other officers if they didn't get her under control!

The impact at least dazed the lupine for a second, and Nick managed to move his legs up and wrap them around the upper part of Cherry's arm. He put all his muscle into it and flipped her off of Pawlander, over himself to the side, onto her back.

"Clawhauser! Heavy dart! Into a joint! Hurry!" cried Judy. She moved to help Nick hold Cherry's arm secure.

"I don't have one!" shouted the cheetah.

"Then help hold her down!" Nick shouted. The portly Cheetah jumped onto the prone wolf who snapped out of the stunning blow from Judy and snarled darkly. He put his paws on her arms as she struggled. She was strong, but the cheetah was heavy and had a pretty good angle on her. Better than Pawlander did. Judy and Nick backed off, as either one could just be picked up and thrown by Cherry, or worse.

"You're goin' down, spots!" shouted the furious lupine, jerking and thrashing heavily in his tight grip. Judy moved quickly over to Pawlander. He was out cold, no two bones about it. She frisked his belt, finding two more cartridges, though both were medium. They'd have to do. The bunny hopped back over to Clawhauser swiftly and held the darts tightly. Both the cheetahs big paws were busy holding Cherry's arms.

"Surikata said no!" Ben expressed anxiously. They'd be disobeying a direct medical order. It really was a big deal.

"Changed my mind! Tranq her!" the terrified meerkat shouted from half way up the stairs. Judy nodded and prepared to jump into the fray to re-tranquilize Cherry. At that, the wolf began loudly singing.

"Dun dun DUNNNN, dun dun DUN DUN DUN DUNNN!" It was an epic-style soundtrack that matched the climax of an action movie given with a powerful operatic voice.

"Oh heck," Ben whined. He couldn't compensate as much as he needed to for the sudden explosion of strength. Cherry arched up and flipped the very heavy cheetah off of her over her head, ending up on top of him almost as easily as she'd done with Pawlander. She didn't attack the cheetah, however. She immediately backhanded the approaching bunny.

 _THUMP_

It reminded the bunny honestly of being hit by a bus. It was sudden and it felt like she didn't even weigh anything compared to the force used on her. She tumbled a few times and remained still, stunned by the impact, the world having that almost-out-cold echoing sound to it. Her heart hammered and she lay on her side, watching the lady wolf as she slowly stood, a sadistic grin on her face. Judy was too stunned to move, but at least she could fortunately feel her legs and the like. This was also kind of unfortunate too, since she could still feel how much being backhanded full-force by a behemoth wolf hurt.

"Judy!" Nick shouted loudly. It felt almost as if it was in slow motion. The bunny looked over to where the wolf was. Clawhauser had let her go entirely and was scrambling to pick up the two tranq darts. The bunny had dropped them when she got wolf-slapped.

"Leave her alone, you're gonna kill somebody!" Ben shouted, arching with some pain as he stood back up.

"That's the idea! Dun DUNN DUN DUN!" Cherry continued singing as she moved slowly but deliberately toward Judy.

"Grab her!" Nick shouted. Judy managed to sit up, trying to get enough control of her limbs to let her get away. Wolfard and Delgato had apparently arrived via the front door, as they stepped into view between the smaller mammal and her attacker. The lion charged in with a roar to distract their suspect, moving to flank her as taught in the academy. Wolfard drew his tranq pistol, eyes wide in shock at seeing all the officers just lying around the lobby. He immediately fired a heavy dart before Nick cold tell him it wouldn't work. Thinking that he'd just be tackling a soon to be unconscious wolf, Delgato the lion was shocked to find himself snatched by his mane and pulled hard to the side and pushed down onto his knees.

"Oh sh-" He was silence by a red-tufted dart in the side of his neck. Cherry had pulled it out of her chest where Wolfard had fired it. Wolfard was shocked by that turn of events and barely had time to react before Cherry chucked a whole freaking _lion_ at him. The wolfess was still loudly singing that epic tune, obviously considering this to be a movie scene. Timothy Wolfard took a big cat to the face.

"Nooo!" cried Surikata from the second floor lobby. Yeah, this was very much on him.

The unfortunate string of events did allow Judy to move back over to Nick, at least. She ached from the impact but didn't think she was badly hurt. Nothing felt broken. Both of her elbows stung so she was sure she landed on them in some way.

Cherry turned, growling savagely at Judy, stopping the singing to make it clear that it all came down to this. This evil bunny had prevented her from getting justice for her nonexistent kits. Justice would be a thing of glory.

Clawhauser, however, stepped in the way. He held two tranq pistols, both aimed at Cherry's face.

"You have my blessing!" shouted the police medic. "Drop her!"

"Just stop! Please stop!" Clawhauser said in an anxious tone. Judy couldn't believe he hadn't already fired. He had a clear shot. A face shot was always risky because of possible blindness, but this was a situation where the risk was warranted!

"No," growled the wolf. She moved over to him. He brought the guns both up, putting them nearly on her throat.

"Clawhauser!" shouted the meerkat again. "Dart her!"

Nick reached down and clutched Judy's shoulder. "Oh no. No, no, no… He won't." Judy glanced up at her suddenly petrified husband.

"What?" she asked, and then looked at the fearful and pained expression in Clawhauser's eyes.

And the bunny suddenly realized.

He couldn't. She knew in an instant how the cheetah had become the only _other_ officer to cause the death of another mammal currently working in Precinct One. Someone had reacted badly to a tranq dart. It happened. Drugs involved, some unknown medical condition. It was always a risk, and Clawhauser was off the street, possibly permanently, because he couldn't bring himself to use a tranq gun again as a result.

There was a loud crack as Cherry simply headbutted the big cheetah, and he went down, falling forward, dropping the two pistols with a clatter at his sides. Judy and Nick both grabbed one before quickly jumping back.

Nick shouted with a tone of command in his voice. "If you go for either of us, you'll be vulnerable to the other!" The bunny and fox stood on either side of the wolf. The meerkat was outright missing, so they suspected the smaller meerkat chose to fall back which was wise, but literally everyone else was down.

Cherry rumbled darkly. "Oh bunny… I put harder stuff than that in my _coffee._ I can take one of those, I bet, and not even slow down. If you even get a clean _shot_. So, I'll make a deal. I get you, or I get both you and your partner. You choose." Both officers held their weapons aimed. Judy could be hurt far worse in a direct attack by Cherry, but Nick had a better chance of not accidentally hitting her in the eye, so Judy prepared to move toward her to get her attention. They had to act quickly. The pair didn't even know if any of the officers had been severely injured. Her partner would know what to do.

Before Nick or Judy could follow through with their dangerous plan, there was a horrifying roar from the second floor balcony above Clawhauser's desk.

Wolf, fox, and bunny all looked up.

...just in time to see Mayumi Tora jump down from the second floor right onto the wolf. Cherry only _barely_ jumped back in time. Tora landed on all fours, then stood tall, moving herself into a martial arts fighting stance.

"Dun dun DUNN, dun dun DUN DUN DUN DUNNN!" the wolf sang at the top of her lungs.

"She's..." Nick offered.

"I've been informed," Tora cut him off, glaring. She regarded Clawhauser who was still sprawled out on his belly, face down. There was some obvious blood pooling there. It might have been a broken nose or a cut on his head. Tora's expression soured.

"Careful, she's got epoxy in her fur," Judy cautiously stated. "She's protected from darts." She wished they had been able to call that useful info out on the radio. It was unclear if that would have helped much in this case, however.

"Noted," relied the Chief calmly.

Cherry growled in a blistering tone, "After I'm done with you guys, I will find that coyote, and he ain't gonna have to worry about his next meal."

Tora appeared to ignore this, stating calmly, "This is the only warning I'm giving, ma'am. On your belly with your paws behind your head, or I am going to apply exactly the force necessary to arrest you... and that will not be pleasant." The tiger sounded very much in control and professional. Judy couldn't help but feel slightly awed by that.

"What ve hell…?" The bunny glanced over and saw Pawlander getting up. "My fafe..." he rubbed his muzzle. "Oh God..." He spotted the chief squaring off against the lady lupine and all the fallen officers around him. He scooted over to Wolfard who was winded but not unconscious.

"Welp, I made my choice!" sang Cherry brightly, and she simply rushed Tora.

"Whoa!" cried Pawlander, scrambling to his feet with some effort.

The next few seconds were like a choreographed dance of titans. The wolf took a hard swing with her claws at Tora, and the tiger gave some kind of spinning side-step and brought her paw up under Cherry's wrist, striking it upward while the other, in the same spinning motion, made easy contact with the back of the lupine's head. The crack from that was even louder than the impact they heard from Clawhauser getting headbutted. The tiger's elegant spin only continued with that momentum, the blocking paw coming back and thrusting hard upward and inward into Cherry's gut. The interim police chief then stepped into the attack, pushing Cherry backward toward the desk with a flurry of impacts so fast they were hard to really follow.

Judy was used to seeing boxing matches where blows came fast. Those blows were, by nature of their speed, generally lighter blows than a full-forced punch, but these sounded like they were as hard as they could be! The back-pedaling wolf made it clear they were at least as hard as they sounded. She ended up pinned backed against the huge front desk, panting, bleeding from her muzzle, holding one of her arms which she had somehow hurt trying to block one of those blows.

"You… demon..." huffed a battered Cherry. "Police… Brutality."

The chief answered almost casually. "I could be using my claws. I'm in perfect control. This doesn't need to continue. We can help you, but you have to stop." The tiger had her paws at her sides, her long tail up and balanced. She seemed ready for anything, and Judy couldn't take her eyes off of the scene. Even an elephant had trouble dealing with this wolf, and Tora made this fight look like a waste of her time.

"I don't need help. I need _justice_!" screamed Cherry before she hurled herself right back at Tora. The objective in her stance wasn't to punch or kick. It was immediately obvious. She was going for the chief's throat, muzzle parted, teeth bared in savage fury. Tora flicked a paw out fast and hard to the side of the lady lupine's muzzle that it spun her slightly to the side before the tiger hooked an arm around the front of her bristling neck. In the same rapid motion, the tiger used her other paw to grip Cherry's spikey epoxy-laden scruff. With the arm locked Tora gripped the wolf gal's cemented fur, the near plastic of it crackling audibly under the force of brutal claws. The tiger then put her full force into an upward jump, pulling Cherry high off her feet and flipping her backwards, bringing her down with a heavy crash onto the top of Clawhauser's desk. The marble shattered and the wood paneling in the middle splintered and collapsed outward under the massive canine's strong back, the wolf making it nearly all the way back down to the floor through the middle of the desk.

This absolutely stunned the unstable and terrifying lady wolf.

"Now!" Tora shouted over her shoulder at the two smaller officers, still holding Cherry's scruff to make sure she could not easily get back up. This was their opening!

Nick and Judy both jumped in, each skillfully jabbing a dart into the bend of both of Cherry's elbows and springing back to safety. Even if it wasn't enough to knock her out, having her arms numbed would help the chief restrain her and get paw cuffs on. The wolf thrashed just a little more, making it obvious that as terrible as that body slam was, her body still worked fine. The struggle slacked quickly as the two darts came into play, however. She went limp slowly and growled long and low. Tora released her grip and Wolfard stumbled over with some more sturdy paw-cuffs.

"It's gonna be okay, ma'am. Relax." Tora continued to kindly manage the paws of the wolf as Cherry tried awkwardly to push at the tiger's paws to keep her from getting cuffs on her. They were drunken, ineffective motions. Tora got one of the paws in cuffs, and reached for the other. Cherry grabbed an object off the floor. It was the spray bottle that Clawhauser had been using for the bonsai tree on the shelf behind the desk. Cherry put the bottle in Tora's face, pulling the trigger repeatedly.

"Nuuu, bad kitty..." she grummed weakly, spritzing the tiger. Tora slapped the bottle away and cuffed the other paw.

At that point, three other officers had arrived, including Jackson and Grizzoli. They assisted in removing a very out-of-it Cherry from the scene to put her somewhere much more safe. Nick gave a heavy sigh of relief. Judy continued to check herself, making sure that she wasn't more than bruised from the impact. She was going to be so sore for the next few days.

"Now then..." Tora glared sternly at the pair of smaller officers.

"She was tranquilized and cuffed before we brought her here," Nick quickly explained.

Judy rubbed her sides, still looking for injuries. Sometimes they were not immediately obvious. She was slightly numb, but that was to be expected because of the adrenaline. She spoke up to assist her partner in explaining what happened. "Surikata didn't let us explain _why_ she needed to be moved to a secure area before he diffused her."

"Well, who got her under control the _first_ time?" interrogated the tiger in a calm, and measured tone.

"They did," answered Francine in a sluggish tone. She was sitting up. Surikata had miraculously returned now that the wolf was gone and used another diffuser on the elephant to bring her back into consciousness. Delgato was also trying to shake off the effects, the lion just sitting on the floor rather spaced out. He'd obviously also been diffused.

"They?" asked Tora.

"Sargents Wilde," the elephant responded, nodding. "They took her down. We had it under control." she sounded nasally. Her trunk was still limp. It would take a while for the diffuser to work because of her size.

"Sargents… What..." Tora gazed at the wrecked front lobby. She regarded the blood as Wolfard pushed a stack of paper towels to Ben's nose. He was dazed but he was up. Surikata had moved over to inspect Pawlander's teeth. There was blood but they appeared to all be there. No one seemed seriously injured at least. Having taken a quick visual stock of the scene, Tora turned and faced Nick and Judy.

"We had it under control," repeated the elephant, as if to defend her fellow officers.

"Why were _you_ bringing in this suspect, Wildes?" Tora questioned. "You were not on patrol duty today."

Judy answered quickly, rubbing a stinging elbow. "We were following a lead… a possible key witness for the cheese case," she explained. "Cherry, the wolf lady you just met… She had kidnapped him. She escaped a mental health facility and was going to starve our witness to death for revenge over an _imagined_ crime."

"This…" Tora put her paws over her eyes, taking a deep breath. "This… _disaster_ was related to the cheese thing?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes Ma'am," stated the fox.

"And you... took her down with Pennington?" their chief examined.

Francine was the one who responded. "They took her down on their own, I just helped them get her out of the house," the elephant added. That wasn't entirely accurate, Judy considered. Still, Francine had been recovering from a surprise choke attack when the officers tranquilized Cherry, so it wasn't entirely wrong either.

"Wilde and Wilde?" the tiger indicated the pair.

"Yes, Ma'am," Pennington stated. Tora gazed at the pair with a hard-to-read expression. She was quiet for a while, glancing about the damage to the lobby, blood on the floor, tufts of fur tumbling around under AC vents… It was obvious she was trying to inscribe the scene in her mind for reporting purposes the way a good cop does. She finally spoke again.

"What's your case looking like?" she pressed the smaller officers.

"We are going to work with a contact to investigate a place was provided to us by the witness to attempt find out the identity of the mammals running the bootleg operation," announced Judy. It wasn't much, sure, but it was better than nothing. That's how cases got solved.

"You feel this is an actionable lead?" asked the tiger.

"Yes," Nick replied.

"Surikata?" Tora finally interjected.

"Y-yes ma'am?" his voice sounded so meek. Judy's aching body made it hard to feel sorry for him right then.

"Do you recall being told that the suspect needed to be secured _before_ being diffused?" Nick cringed. He knew too.

"Y-yes, Chief Tora. They did say... but I was highly concerned. She was double-heavied. A wolf." He held out his paws to make it clear that was a big deal.

The tigress narrowed her eyes. "Never, _ever_ disregard the information from our field officers when they bring in a suspect." She put her paws behind her back, standing tall over the meerkat. "If someone has been _tranquilized_ , it's not because the officer doesn't want to listen to them whine. It's because they are _dangerous_." She circled around behind him and he stood, petrified. "The only reason I don't _dismiss_ you right now is because I now have a lobby full of officers who require medical attention. Also, it is noted, to your benefit, that when things went south you didn't completely fall apart. You came and got me, and you went and got diffuser to wake up the officers our wolf friend managed to drop." She circled back around and then leaned down, looming over him. "You will owe me a _very_ detailed report, and you will report to the Academy for the next four Saturdays for a refresher course on crisis management. Pawlander?"

The white-toned lupine stumbled over to the tiger, holding a napkin to his muzzle. "Yeff?"

"Once your face is working again, please pull all video footage of this… encounter… This is going to make an outstanding training video for the academy to illustrate the down-side to poor communication among officers."

"Yeff Ma'am," he said rather sullenly. He obviously had other things to do, but video review happened to be his specialty.

Tora finally turned back to Nick and Judy. "As for you two..." The pair tensed up. "That sucked. We should all learn from it. You did outstanding work, but I expect more radio communication from you, even if you are not on patrol duty. I might have come downstairs a lot faster if someone had made another call for backup."

"We had trouble keeping officers conscious on scene, Chief," Wolfard stated. This was true.

"This was apparent. Still, communication will be top priority. I doubt I have to tell you how much worse that could have gone. I will be in my office. Bogo left me some medicine for days like this." She turned to a sad-looking Benjamin Clawhauser.

"I… I'm sorry," he said, gazing down at his belly.

"Come on, Ben. Let's get you cleaned up," the chief half-whispered in a more gentle tone. Judy covered her heart. Poor cheetah. He felt like he let everyone down because he froze up. This was a far worse injury to him than his face. She'd have to talk to him later. As it was, the bunny felt like he was in good paws. The two of them made their way toward the back, where the small and likely now packed infirmary was.

"Well, that went better than I thought it would," Nick mentioned. It snapped Judy out of her moody speculation on Clawhauser's dilemma. She considered quickly what happened.

"I am so glad I didn't try to really go toe to toe with that tiger," Judy deadpanned.

"Are you… alright?" Nick said, paws cupping her cheeks as he obviously peered into her eyes. He did that a lot, but the bunny knew this time it was to see if her pupils were reacting normally. She took a pretty hard hit.

"I… I think so, yeah," Judy mentioned, rubbing an elbow. "Probably gonna have a bruise."

"Good thing your fur's kind of grey-blue, I guess." Nick stated. "Are you sure? Insternal stuff isn't always… obvious." Her mate stroked her ears back tenderly, gazing into her eyes with so much care that it felt like her very spirit was being picked up and cradled in his arms.

"Oh no, I certainly felt it, but it's not any lingering pain. I think I'm fine." The doe was somewhat flustered at the attention. Well, let's go and get ready for out little date at a cafe tonight." Judy said with a forced brighter tone. She didn't want to make a scene out of it.

"Right, that," Nick said, distracted a moment. Judy stiffened up. Was there a problem with the plans they'd made? He didn't say anything about it before.

"How about you? Are you alright? You got punched pretty hard too," the doe stated, remembering how he'd winced from her playful jab to his ribs before.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. Hurts to breathe a little, but I think it's okay. Been beaten up worse sparring in the academy," he explained. "No, but… our _date_ tonight..." He put his claw tips together, as if pondering a possible complication.

"I mean, to meet Tandy, remember?" she offered. "Did you forget?" she asked. That wasn't a good sign. They might be going to the infirmary with everyone else.

"Uh, no," Nick replied. "But maybe _you_ did, Fluff."

"What?" The doe was confused.

"We need to meet our reporter friend at seven, but… We have something else we needed to do tonight. Can you remember?" Judy looked up at her partner, nose starting to wiggle. Had she been hit so hard? Why couldn't she remember.

"Nick, just tell me?" she pled, concerned.

"Sam," the fox stated. "We left him with my mom, remember?"

Judy winced and covered her face.

She forgot about him entirely!


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:**

 _Sometimes it's hard just to get a single plan together, but if you watch for opportunities, life can be a little easier._

 _ **If you are just joining Guardian Blue for the first time,**_ _you will want to check out Season 1 and 2 first, and I would highly recommend Thanks for the Fox even before that as well so everything makes sense. ^^ Duke of Absolution will likely also be needed. This story is getting big._

 _This story is made by me, but all the characters and the world and a hefty portion of my hopes and dreams are owned by Disney._

 _Also! Another HUGE shout-out to J. N. Squire for assisting with editing for Season 3. Also, I would like to extend a special thank you to a few others who are helping me to keep updating and keep the quality high even with my busy schedule, and my friend Alex who helps me greatly with beta-reading!_

 **Guardian Blue: Season Three**

 _Episode 11: Witness_

"Are you sure you're okay?" Nick asked for probably the _eleventh_ time. Judy took a hard hit. She wasn't going to deny that. Fortunately, Cherry didn't catch her with claws, it was all paw. Still, bending down to put her foot-braces on in the morning was going to be a miserable experience for a few days. Judy didn't feel throbbing or stabbing pain inside, so she was pretty sure she was okay. Being a small mammal with the possibility of being sat on or stepped on, one learned early the warning signs of more serious injuries.

"I'm fine, Slick. I'm just sore." She leaned back in her chair, looking at the sixteen page report she and Nick had worked together to type. It had taken more time to do the report on a tiny segment of their investigation than they had spent fully on the investigation itself that day. Nearly four hours. "Well, at least _this_ is done," the doe pointed out. "Your spelling is impeccable, as always." She wanted to distract her partner from his obsession with her injuries. It hurt less when she wasn't thinking about it.

"Yes, and _you_ misspelled wolf twice," the fox replied. They had edited the report opposite of how they wrote it. One wrote one half, the other did the other half. They split work up seamlessly and efficiently.

"I misspelled… wolf?" the doe asked incredulously. Nick slowly nodded with a look of concern.

"I think… maybe you were just tired of typing, Fluff," he offered softly. "Not much else was wrong… just… Please promise you'll let me know if you don't feel right." Judy laid her ears back. "I'm serious. I know you're a tough bunny but you're _my_ tough bunny. All right?" His wide, expressive green eyes were fixed intently on her as if monitoring her very heartbeat. Judy glanced around to make sure that no one was standing right by their shared cubicle and then leaned in to nuzzle her partner. She pushed her chin up against his jaw as well.

"I promise, Nick. I won't take chances. Not with that." Her heart ached for how much he desperately cared for her. Often things were busy enough that it was harder to stop and appreciate all the little things he did for her, but he made it obvious from time to time that she meant everything to him, and it was always a sobering realization for a bunny who was used to the attention of even her own parents being spread thin. Being the complete focus of another was still new and slightly alarming to her.

There was a muffled yap from Nick's backside. Judy was not so tired that she could resist cracking a smile at that. It was always funny to her. Nick thought nothing of it, of course, and simply took his phone out of his back pocket and checked it. He sighed. "My mom has to set up a delivery for a big company picnic and has a meeting with the customer when he gets off work today so… she said she might not be able to watch Sam."

Judy rubbed her ears in frustration. "Tandy hasn't replied to the message I sent earlier, so I'm not sure if she's able to reschedule or not. I want to get moving on this lead as fast as we can, but one of us will probably have to take Sam tonight," the doe returned. "Did you get the kit from Pawlander?" the doe asked. Once the detective had mostly recovered from his run in with Cherry, they had requested some supplies they would need for their meeting tonight.

The fox nodded. "I did, and Judy… I would suggest it be _you_ who stays home, Carrots. I want you to rest a bit and just kind of monitor yourself."

"I know. I should, but I know _you_ are still gonna worry the whole time if I'm not with you." Nick lowered his muzzle, making it clear she was right. Judy's phone rang. She expected it to be her parents, for some reason. It wasn't like the fight in the precinct had been broadcast on the news, but it felt like every time something painful happened to her, they somehow knew. She didn't immediately recognize the number.

"Sargent Judy… Wilde… how my I help you?" she answered. Using her new last name was still taking a little getting used to.

"Hey, Judy, it's Kris," came the hushed but high pitched voice on the other end of the line.

"Oh, Kris! How's it going?" the doe asked. She motioned to Nick to bring his ear closer to the conversation. The little otter had immediately sounded stressed.

"So… uh… I just had a concerning experience…" She drew that out in such a way that it made Judy think she was hastily walking somewhere.

"What happened?" Judy inquired in an unnecessarily hushed tone.

"I came out of my apartment to take out the recycling, and I was met right in front of my door by two huge rats," she explained quietly. Nick and Judy's ears shot up.

"Rats?" Judy clarified.

"Yeah, biggest I've ever seen. One was maybe bigger than me. They asked me a bunch of weird questions and were being very threatening and I… I don't feel safe. I'm going to my dad's house. He's not home, but I feel safer there than a place those guys know to look for me." The mustelid sounded more anxious the more she talked. "Oh no. Oh no, Judy, I think I'm being followed." Nick stood up. He gestured in such a way that the bunny understood that they needed to meet her.

"I don't want you going anywhere alone," Judy expressed quickly as she followed her partner toward the lobby of the station. "Head someplace with lots of other mammals around. We will have someone pick you up. What are you close to right now?" They got onto the elevator and Nick began setting up their Zuber ride.

"I'm by the Palm hotel," she answered in a wavering, worried voice.

"Wolfard's assigned to traffic for an event there," Nick whispered. Judy agreed with Nick. Kris couldn't wait for them to come to her if she was being followed. She had to get to where help would be.

"Head for the Palm. You still have that flower you wear?" Judy inquired.

"Y-yeah, you can't miss me," the small voice on the other end responded. "I think the guys are in a little black car behind me. Can we stay on the phone? I _really_ don't want to hang up. Oh, Judy… I'm scared. What do they _want_?"

"Don't worry, we'll stay on the phone," Judy said quickly. "What kind of questions were these rats asking?" The more information they could get, the better chance they had of helping Kris if she got snatched. As the pair of officers got off the elevator, Judy could hear that Nick was on the phone with Wolfard. He told the other officer to wait by the front desk for a little otter with a flower on her ear.

Kris spoke a little louder, asking it apparent she was likely walking faster. "They asked who I thought I was, and if I thought I was being cute. Then they asked about someone named Mr. Big, and they said that if he really thought he was gonna run Happy Town too, he was gonna get a taste of his own ice. I don't know what any of that means, and I told them I didn't know anything about any of that and I didn't want to talk to them, so I just walked away." Judy felt icy daggers push into her core.

So, yes, they had a little help with the big Bellwether case from Mr. Big, but at the time that Judy had sought his help, she wasn't a cop. She was just a reckless civilian trying to clean up her own mess. After the bunny took her badge back Judy was wise to steer completely clear of the arctic shrew. Nick personally met with Big before reporting to the academy to explain that he intended to follow the bunny's lead. He needed to make it clear that he did not intend to compromise "The Family" with any of their previous dealings. Mr. Big stated that this was fair, but that fairness dictated that his enterprise would not be inclined to offer them further assistance himself. All debts were squared.

To Nick and Judy, this merely normalized their roles as officers and crime family. Big's continued gratitude for the life of his daughter extended only in that he would not complicate their lives as officers in return for their silence on their dealings with his organization up to that point. It was a deal they had to make, as threatening Weasleton the way they had was far outside what would have been allowed an officer. The fox and bunny could have gotten into some hot water for that. Weasleton had fortunately left that part out in his testimony. Nick explained to Judy back then that this was because Duke knew that having to be coerced to give the details about who wanted those flowers would have suggested he was knowingly working for Bellwether. He wasn't. So he allowed the DA to believe that he had been forthcoming with Judy and Nick when they told him what the Nighthowers might have been used for. It would make him look far less involved in that scandal. That had ultimately paid off for Duke.

Later, as patrol officers, Nick and Judy had little cause to investigate or deal with Big himself. That day may eventually come, but it had not, thus far, been a concern. They had arrested associates of Mr. Big for crimes committed, but nothing tied specifically to him. It had been almost as if he were keeping his nose clean for the time being. There was no question that he was a criminal, but he had been entirely off of Nick and Judy's radar.

Until that very moment.

"Did you say Mr. Big?" Judy asked shakily.

"Ride's on the way," Nick informed, looking ill himself. Neither of them looked forward to any kind of interaction with Nick's former unlawful employer.

"Y-yeah. Do you guys know who that is?" the otter whispered. "I'm walking up to the hotel. The rats got out of the car. They're definitely following me. Should I run?" Kris whimpered at her situation. Judy gritted her teeth. This poor otter was so scared.

"No, walk casual," Judy instructed. "Wolfard's a uniformed officer. He's waiting right by the front desk. Don't talk directly to him, just pretend like you're talking to the front desk attendant. We'll make contact with the rats when we get there, and the officer will get you out of there, alright?"

"Thank you," whispered the otter. "I… I'm going through the door. I see him. He sees me too. I'm gonna hang up. I'll… I'll wait for you. Thank you." She sniffled. Judy sighed as well, relieved. Kris was safe. The line beeped and Judy sighed as she waited on the front steps of the ZPD headquarters.

"She did the right thing, calling us. That was smart," Judy told her partner.

"Sounds like a rival gang's puffing up against the Big family," Nick replied in a casual tone.

Judy rubbed her face slowly. "But why hassle some girl otter? Do you think she's hiding something? Think maybe she's in with Big?"

"I don't think so, but we know that at least at one time her _uncle_ was," Nick replied. Judy had told him about the family link that Kris had revealed. It felt like days ago, but it had only been that morning. What a busy day. "The rights might know he has dealt with Big's family, and they may assume that family is family."

"So, you think she's clueless about her uncle's involvement?" asked the doe.

"I feel like Otterton's the sort who would absolutely _never_ have gotten his family involved in any of that. Even his own wife knew nothing about the link. If she had, I'm pretty sure she'd have told the police when he went missing, since that's a pretty obvious avenue of investigation," explained the fox. He looked at his phone. "Okay, Wolfard just texted me, says the rats did an about-face the moment Kris walked up to the front desk. If they're still there, they'll be outside."

"Good, at least we don't have to worry." Judy sighed. "Well, now we know why Mike wasn't willing to give us more than a place to look around." It was unfortunate, but it proved that Mike was involved, even if just loosely, in a larger criminal enterprise. This pained the bunny because she had _hoped_ that their dealings with him, and the trust he'd earned with Nick's mom, had been enough to at least divert him from worse troubles. She knew from dealing with so many who had lost their way, however, that once a mammal got caught up in the life, it was pretty hard to just walk away from it. Judy leaned against her partner. Duke got out because he didn't work well with others. More social mammals had a harder time giving it up. It wasn't always just easier, sometimes it was literally every single pillar holding up their world.

Judy pulled her ears back in quiet frustration. They still had to pick up Sam. They didn't have time for this right now.

Their ride arrived and Nick kept up with Wolfard via text messages, checking in on the otter every few minutes as they moved quickly to the Palm Hotel. It was a popular landmark, being one of the largest buildings in all of Zootopia. It was certainly one of the most recognizable. They asked the driver to stop a little bit before they got to the hotel itself. Nick and Judy did a search of the parking deck, splitting up to do so, and then moved together around the back of the hotel.

They didn't see any small black cars that fit the description. Content with the knowledge that Kris was safe inside with another capable officer, they were thorough in their search of the area around the hotel. It was clear after a few moments that the rats were very cautious and had likely left when the otter joined the officer at the desk. That made it seem more possible that these were organized professional criminals.

Judy listened carefully for anything her ears might pick up around them, and Nick took the quiet moment to text Pawlander about the development in their case. They certainly didn't want to get dressed down about communication twice in one day. Keeping necessary parties in the loop was critical, especially as the clues suggested something that could be more complicated than a couple of mammals in over their head with a weird get rich quick scheme.

"How you feelin', Fluff?" Nick asked once again as they moved alongside the hotel by the service entrance. It was quiet there and the location was not a customer parking area, so the fox apparently took advantage of the chance to be candid.

Judy took a deep breath. Again with this question. "I'm still okay, Slick. My side hurts. My shoulder hurts now - yeah, _that_ one. I think it was jarred when I landed. I'll probably take something for it when we get home." She stopped and took a moment to consider her caring partner. He looked absolutely haunted. The bunny winced at that. She fought a crazed wolf. It was a life or death situation and he was right to be afraid of losing her. She looked around and noted that there wasn't anyone hanging about as the sun sank lower in the sky. "Nick… I'm sorry. You know I didn't go looking for trouble. It should _not_ have been that out of control." She hugged him and he wrapped his tail around her.

"I'll get over it, Carrots," the fox responded in an anxious voice. "You _know_ I will, but… I saw you get hit, and I heard the thump… I've never seen you _thrown_ like that before and…" The fox looked away, pulling the bunny's heart hard with his averted gaze. "It's gonna take me a while to process it, okay? I'm sorry I'm being weird and clingy. Humor it just for tonight, okay? I'm gonna keep asking, and you can keep telling me you're okay, Judy, but I'm gonna still ask."

"Nick," Judy half whispered, taking her partner by the paw. "Nick, it's okay. I'm not mad at you for asking. I know you didn't like seeing me get hurt. We both know it's a part of the job, a real possibility every day… but it doesn't mean we have to like it. I promise if I am having any trouble at all I'll tell you, okay? I know you'll keep asking, just… know that when I answer I'm telling you the truth." the bunny pressed. "No pointless tough bunny act, okay?"

"Okay. Yeah." Nick nodded, appearing to feel a little better from that. The hug helped at least. It was still touching for Judy to consider that this fox, who wouldn't let anyone see that they got to him, could be so vulnerable around her. They finally moved around the building and went inside. The spacious lobby of the Palm hotel was large enough for even the largest mammals to feel overwhelmed. This place was not only a hotel, but had condos for the very wealthy as well.

The polished white marble floor was laminated and hardened to resist the hooves and claws of all who trod upon it. The tall green marble columns were patterned to look like the stacked rings of palm bark, and there were plentiful indoor potted plants and decorations to give it the most posh feel imaginable. It was made to be inviting to so many species. Judy had only been in this place a handful of times, but this was the first time she'd been here in the evening when it was so busy.

"There she is, Fluff," Nick informed her.

"She seems less upset now," the bunny admitted.

"She's standing by a wolf. That helps," the fox laughed. Judy was happy to hear a little more of Nick's usual smug attitude seep back into him.

"Anything outside?" Wolfard asked as they approached. He was obviously trying to look more like he was providing a relaxed greeting to fellow officers, and not responding to a case.

The little otter wrung her paws nervously. "I'm sorry for calling you. It might have been nothing so bad, but they were so _menacing_. Officer Wolfard told me it might have been gang related and a complete misunderstanding or something, but I sure don't feel safer knowing that!"

Nick interjected, "You're fine now. We let detective Pawlander know about the incident tonight, but you probably do _not_ want to go home right now, that's a given."

"Do you think it's about the cheese in the gas station?" offered the otter.

"We got a lead today suggesting there may be rodents involved, yes," Nick stated. Judy tensed up. They should not speak so freely of the case with Kris.

"You know," Wolfard stated, "Sometimes, Detective Pawlander spends six weeks on a case without finding so much as a funny smell, but this cheese thing seems to be coming at you two like bad weather on a parade. You just can't get away from it."

"You doing okay, Wolfard?" asked Nick, trying to deflect the possible compliment. The bunny understood. He didn't want to be further aggrandized in front of the otter. Still, Judy put her ears back at the topic of discussion. Wolfard was there in the lobby of the ZPD when things went wrong earlier in the day. The doe was honestly surprised to see that he'd gone back on duty, and felt bad for not even considering that when she'd seen him. It was easy, perhaps, to think of the larger officers on the force as less vulnerable.

"I'm as good as I can be, I think," insisted the earth-toned timber wolf. "You took a hard hit too, Hopps, are _you_ okay?" he asked.

"Judy got hit? At work?" asked the otter. "Who… Who hits a _bunny_?"

"It was a rough day," Nick explained to Kris, nodding.

Judy crossed her arms. "I got slapped down. You got hit in the face with an entire _lion_ , Wolfard," Judy redirected. Kris looked patently horrified. She did not want a tiny otter obsessing over her non-injuries the way her overprotective husband was already. It was embarrassing. She could worry about the wolf instead.

It worked.

"They were throwing _lions_?!" she whimpered.

Wolfard laughed. "I'm fine, you two. It wasn't that bad. Delgato's softer than he looks."

Kris wrung her paws nervously again. "I hate to be a bother after you all have had.. oh you've had just a terrible day, I can tell but… can someone drive me to my dad's?"

Nick took a slow, deep breath, and then cleared his throat.

"Actually, I may have an idea that will offer you better security, and help us out with the case, as we have a very hot lead to follow on it." Judy looked back at her fox, and tilted her head, ears flicking up tall.

Kris blinked at that curiously. "Oh? I can try to help, but… I'll be honest, I'm really scared. If you want someone going under cover, I… I don't know."

No, no, nothing like that," Nick explained. Wolfard was watching him as well, seeming just as confused.

"Okay… what can I do, then?" asked the little otter.

"So… Judy and I have a kit at home who needs watching-…" Nick was cut off by a hard squeak, not from the otter, but from Wolfard.

"What?!" he croaked as he regained some of his composure.

"Visiting, Wolfard! Geeze!" Judy huffed.

"Oh…" Timothy cleared his throat. "Yes. Knew that." Kris was startled by the outburst from the lupine, but finally relaxed again.

"So… you want me to … kit-sit?" she asked. "Who's kit _is_ it?"

"He's my cousin," Nick stated.

"Visiting from New Reynard," the bunny elaborated.

"How old is he? I'm terrified of … the really little ones," Kris admitted with some obvious shame. It wasn't shameful. Everyone was scared of the really little ones.

"He's on the edge of ten," the fox officer chuckled. "And very well adjusted, I promise you. He's at our apartment… or will be when we pick him up from my mom." Judy rubbed her chin, finally truly catching up. Oh. If Kris could take care of Sam, then they could both meet with Tandy tonight. That would be a perfect solution. The fact that her partner thought of it made it clear he could be an opportunist. This was a very good trait for one's mate to have. Yes, Judy married exactly the right fox.

"I could do that, sure. I think I would feel really safe in a police officer's apartment, and Uncle Emmett would be happy to know I helped you both out, case or not. Will you be out all night?" she asked.

Wolfard shook his paws. "Wait… this otter is related to… Otterton?"

"I am… You know my uncle?" Kris asked.

"Not personally, but he was part of the first case Officer Hop… err… Wilde… actually solved," the lupine corrected. Judy smiled reassuringly at him. It was gonna take time. She didn't mind.

"Really?" Kris murmured. "I didn't know. I thought she'd been with the force longer than that." She looked blankly at the bunny. "And your apartment… With Officer Wilde… and you're also officer Wilde. So you really weren't kidding, then. You two tied the knot." Wolfard whined, obviously holding back a crude laugh. Judy made no comment. It obviously referred to hand-fasting for otters, not anything else. She fought the urge to roll her eyes. Canids.

"We did," Nick clarified without as much as a smirk. He was getting better at being professionally stoic where the situation demanded.

"I guess I didn't really register it as a real thing. No offense. It just sounds… you know…"

"Like we were joking?" asked Nick with a grin.

"Maybe?" offered the little otter, blushing.

Wolfard gave a big grin. "I promise you it's real. I got to howl at their wedding," the lupine bragged.

"Oh… wow…" was all Kris could offer in response. She would nothave likely known the significance to their friend and colleague. "But, like… sure, I can help you, sure. When is it?" she asked.

"We need to head out shortly, actually. Can you ride with us to my mom's shop and we can pick him up?" Nick questioned.

"I can do that," Kris replied. "I don't wanna go anywhere alone, that's for sure!"

"We need to get a Zuber out here first, and then we will head out," Judy commented.

"What happened to your patrol car?" asked the little otter.

"Oh!" barked Wolfard loudly, startling pretty much everyone. Nick and Judy stared at him. "That's what I forgot to tell you! Your car is ready. I totally forgot. I was supposed to tell you after roll call, but you two apparently had stuff to do. You slipped out before I could catch up with you."

Judy felt her eye twitch.

"Wolfard, you need to run," Nick stated.

"I need to run." The wolf replied.

"Oh goodness," Kris said, cupping her muzzle.

"Good luck, Kris," the lupine stated, beating a hasty retreat.

"I'll… I'll call for our ride," Nick stated as the bunny clenched her little paws tighter and tighter.

The ride to Gideon Gray's Really Good Baked Stuff was thankfully shorter than its name. By that time of day, traffic had died down a little. The prevalence of nocturnal mammals in the city of Zootopia helped to alleviate the severity of rush hour so it was generally less than a full hour. That was, to Judy, pretty helpful. In Bunnyburrow, the one main road could get muddled up for hours if there was an accident or something.

Vivienne was surprised to find that Judy and Nick were accompanied by a small otter, but she gladly welcomed her in despite the shop being closed. Kris was delighted to hang out with the officers who helped her uncle, and seemed doubly delighted to get to meet Nick's mom.

"It smells amazing in here," Kris observed.

"Thank you, dear," Viv stated kindly, moving trays from the last tables where they'd been left.

"Where's Duke?" Nick asked.

"Headed over to the shelter with leftovers," explained Nick's mom.

"The shelter?" inquired Kris curiously.

"Oh…" Judy smiled as she considered that. It shouldn't have surprised her. Vivienne was helping. And Duke was helping, too. It really warmed Judy's heart. He had a crass attitude and quarreled with Nick comically, but he really did have a measure of something special in him. Whether it formed because of them, or Vivienne, or it was just hidden away, she might never know.

"There's a shelter for mammals who are displaced by fire, floods, that sort of thing," the lady fox explained. "We give them treats every week. They'd go to waste otherwise. Other extras go to other places, of course, but tonight it's for the shelter."

"Awwww," the otter responded appropriately.

"Kris, this is Vivienne, Nick's mother," introduced Judy. "Viv, this is Emmett Otterton's niece, Kris. We are dealing with a case that involves some of their family property but due to some… uhh… complications… she will stay at our place tonight, but that means she can look after Sam while we meet Tandy."

"It's nice to meet you!" she squeaked with a little too much enthusiasm.

"Ahh… Nice to meet you too," the older fox remarked with palpable uneasiness. Judy reminded herself that Kris seemed to have a pretty fanatic attitude about her fox, and while his vows were absolute and she was unconcerned, surely Nick's mom could see the eagerness for herself.

"So, where's Sam?" inquired Nick.

"He's upstairs. I'll get him. He was reading one of the Hairy Otter books. Duke's got the whole set, and he apparently hadn't read all of them."

"He's gonna be awful sore to go home without them," Nick laughed.

"I think Duke's gonna let him borrow them," the lady fox replied.

"That's generous of him," Judy nodded. "He's come a long way."

"Oh, he's a gentlemammal, even if he's an insatiable flirt," laughed Vivienne.

"What?" Nick deadpanned.

"Hey Nick!" Sam piped from the entryway that led upstairs. He had a book in his paws as advertised.

"I wasn't ready," Kris whined. Judy understood. This fox kit was cute even by bunny standards.

"Judy! Viv let me make a pie by myself! We couldn't sell it because it looked weird but it tasted pretty great!" The bunny had to restrain the desire to give a little binkie. That little joyful bunny hop seemed almost inadequate to express how seeing that little fox so happy delighted her. It was so easy to be attached to a charming little kit like him. He could be a handful, but the best kits always were! Judy looked at her stunned husband and back to the jubilant little fox kit.

"That's really cool, Sam!" she said positively. She regarded her concerned partner again. What was he fixated on? Oh… He shouldn't worry about that stuff. The vows, right? That wasn't even a thing!

Sam stopped her from trying to redirect her partner's thoughts. "Oh! We still have customers. Welcome to -…"

"She's with us," Judy corrected. It was cute that he was greeting customers though. He really was a polite and responsible kit. That seemed to be more of a thing that happened in a less urban area, and the doe was not entirely sure why. Maybe it had to do with how much time parents could be around without distraction.

The otter smiled sweetly. "I... I'm Kris. I'll be looking after you tonight."

"Oh. It's 'cause I snore, huh?" Sam asked.

"You snore?" inquired Vivienne.

"Mom says I do," Sam replied.

"It means you go to bed too late, young fox," the doting mother vixen insisted.

"Our ride's still waiting," Judy informed.

"Of course. Sorry I couldn't watch him tonight. I have another three hours of baking to do for that event," Viv apologized.

"Oh, it's fine!" chimed Judy. "I appreciate that you were able to look after him while we were at work all day. We just really have to follow up on this lead. Good luck with the baking!"

"Thank you, dear. And you behave for Miss Kris," Vivienne instructed the youngest of foxes.

"Flirt?" Nick asked in an anxious voice.

"I will! Promise," Sam stated earnestly.

"And tell your mother to let you come visit again," Vivienne ignored.

"I will! I really like it here!" chimed the kit.

"C'mon, we gotta go," Judy insisted. She didn't want to have to wait even longer for another ride when they were already going to have to get one from the apartment to get to the edge of Little Rodentia.

"Wait," Nick interjected.

"You mother's so sweet," Kris giggled as they headed back to the blue sedan waiting outside.

"She is," Nick said with a tone of dread.

It didn't take too long to get Kris set up in their apartment with Sam. It wasn't like it would be hard to look after him. Nick let him borrow a stack of graphic novels that he assured Judy would be fine for his age and maturity level. He'd be busy with that until he passed out. Judy had, in the ride back from the bakery, gotten a text back from Tandy. The lady rat offered to reschedule, but as luck had it, that was not necessary. They had their kit-sitter, they had their ride, and they had the supplies they would need.

They took a Zuber and spent the entire trip out to the Little Rodentia wall, where the Diner was found, talking about their next absolutely necessary endeavor. Since they were sitting on a sufficient savings from their trip out to the Interior, hazard pay, and the added bonuses as a result, the pair were going to shop for a car of their own. With all the trouble of taking Zubers around the city, this was arguably no longer a luxury. They needed it.

They got out of their ride, a sleek silver four-door and headed for the diner.

The setup of this diner was one of the most unique in all of Zootopia. There was a long, long single canopy over the edge of part of the wall that wrapped around Little Rodentia. At several levels, slowly going up, there were platforms that were faceted into the other side of the wall with little columns that only slightly separated one side from the other. Little tables for various sizes of small mammals were there, and then, on the outside of the wall, there were tables for larger mammals. The result was that mammals on the larger city-side could have lunch meetings with the smallest of the residents of Zootopia. They met Tandy at such a table. She was dressed attractively in a sleek black dress that Judy could not remember ever having seen a rodent wear.

"Sorry I've put you guys out. I could have probably managed this meeting with a phone call, to be honest," she offered.

"You undervalue your help to us," Nick stated firmly.

"So, we shall cut to the chase, as I know you have a little one to look after and I could spend more than your investigation time frame asking you all about _that_!" the rat laughed. "What do you feel I might be able to manage for you? What needs to be done?"

"We need you to get information for us about a very specific kind of gourmet cheese, actually," explained Nick.

"Oh god, that stereotype?" laughed Tandy.

"It's not… It's not like that," Judy defended.

"It's cheese. You are investigating in Little Rodentia about cheese, Judy. How else can that look?" giggled the rat, her tone making it clear she wasn't offended. Judy was still flustered by being called out about it, even jokingly, because of how sensitive she'd become about perceived bias. A waiter showed up and interrupted the awkwardness so that they could order their food and drinks.

"Okay, first off," Nick explained to the rat reporter, "do you like cheese?"

Tandy looked back at Nick blankly. "Uh…" She looked down. "That's like me asking if you like…"

"I _love_ bunnies," Nick said bluntly. The answer appeared to alarm their reporter friend. "But no… Do. You. Like. Cheese?"

"Sure, I enjoy it, but…"

"I bet I love it more," the fox promised, cutting her off. "But we have a real case, and real cheese, and a real crime, and we need a real helper to get to the bottom of it because that's what we do." Judy was honestly a little stunned at how fast her partner made it as serious as it needed to be.

"Well, I could argue whether you actually love cheese more, but I won't," Tandy offered. "But... how bad can a cheese caper be?" she inquired with a somewhat dismissive grin.

Nick responded with a flat tone. "They were waiting for Judy to die before selling cheese they claimed came from _her_ milk."

"Uh…" Tandy dropped blankly.

"Nick!" the bunny hissed. He wasn't allowed to tell her that. Why was he always so loose with the facts of the case? That was going to eventually come back and bite him in the tail!

The fox continued, sounding irritated. "If they did that, anyone buying it or even _seeing_ it would believe she was unfaithful to her mate. That is me. I would never be able to convince some mammals otherwise." His tone was one of duress. Tandy had admitted over the holidays to being involved with a ferret. She could understand just how deep that would hurt. Nick had just made this case personal to her. She understood why he did that, but she worried suddenly that nick really was worried about that. He sounded so genuine!

"Nick, no one who _matters_ is gonna think that," the doe pressed.

"They… They had cheese with Judy's name on it?" asked the rat.

"Yes. Hoppin' Hopps Cheddar." Nick explained. Tandy burst with laughter and physically had to get herself under control.

"I'm sorry," she finally gasped. "I'm so sorry, this is terrible, but oh my God, how cheeseeeeeeHehehe!" Her laughter renewed. Fortunately, rats were not terribly loud so while it was an awkward moment it was at least not terribly disruptive. She finally snorted a few times, and got herself recomposed. "Sorry. Aheh. Sorry about that. No. This is serious. Ehem. So, you are trying to find these mammals responsible for the cheese. And you think they are in Little Rodentia?"

Judy took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Nick gave Tandy that earlier information because he knew it would hook her. He had been right, as was often the case. When he said he knew everybody, it sometimes meant he just knew what made them tick. He knew how to get to them. He was a confidence mammal. He was almost always had the advantage in social situations. The little bunny learned that the hard way day one.

Judy finally answered, taking the initiative from her mate's silence. "We have… actionable intelligence that they are at a place on Victor Street."

"Victor Street is … not a good area," informed Tandy.

"You won't be going alone," Nick expressed.

"The reason you need me suggests I _will_ be," the rat responded.

The vulpine nodded. "Physically, yes. You will be taking a camera with you. Judy and I will be just outside the city walls. We can be at your location at this time of day in less than two minutes."

"Won't a camera be obvious?" inquired Tandy. "I'm not an elephant, you can't just tuck something like that in my nose or something."

"Not with these..." Nick held up the item they had obtained from Pawlander. It was a tiny rodent-sized set of headphones that went over the ear like a real music aficionado might wear. They were popular with the smaller mammals. These, however, were special and unique. "You like music, right?" he asked.

"I do," she agreed.

Judy explained. "Wear these as you walk around. They have two cameras in them, one front, one back, and we can talk to you directly through them. We just need you to be able to get into the place, allow us to see who is there, and determine if anyone has a history that would allow us to bring them in for questioning as a suspect in the case."

"So… Do I have to talk to anyone?" she asked. She still sounded nervous, but this was not that far outside of what she would do as a reporter. Observe and report. Except that the reporting would be live to Nick and Judy's laptop.

"You may," Nick replied, "But if you do, you will basically just be repeating what we say. If things get dangerous, we will tell you what you need to do."

"Will I have to fight?" she asked.

"Oh good lord no," Judy laughed.

"Absolutely not," Nick chuckled.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:**

 _I smell a rat._

 _ **If you are just joining Guardian Blue for the first time,**_ _you will want to check out Season 1 and 2 first, and I would highly recommend Thanks for the Fox even before that as well so everything makes sense. ^^ Duke of Absolution will likely also be needed. This story is getting big._

 _This story is made by me, but all the characters and the world and a hefty portion of my hopes and dreams are owned by Disney._

 _Also! Another HUGE shout-out to J. N. Squire for assisting with editing for Season 3. Also, I would like to extend a special thank you to a few others who are helping me to keep updating and keep the quality high even with my busy schedule, and my friend Alex who helps me greatly with beta-reading!_

 **Guardian Blue: Season Three**

 _Episode 12: Syndicate_

"I can hear you, can you hear me?" the rat's voice chimed over the laptop speakers. Nick and Judy sat in a quiet booth of a coffee house nearly devoid of patrons just outside the gate leading into Little Rodentia. Their location would give the officers a two minute response time to Victor Street if anything went wrong.

"Loud and clear," Nick responded firmly. They were not worried about being heard here. The place was frequented by the ZPD and the staff knew to give officers at work their space.

"Okay, I'm turning down Victor Street. Can you see alright?" she asked with a tone of nervousness heavy in her voice.

Judy spoke next. "Front and back, yes. I thought this was mostly commerce, why does it look so industrial?" She wondered what Mike even wanted them to look for. She wasn't gonna walk the rat reporter into some dark warehouse or something. Response time or not, that was out of the question. Tora would already have kittens about the use of a civilian investigator, willing or not.

Nick answered that question, however. "The power grid for Little Rodentia runs through it. On the map, there's a club that looks like it might be an interesting spot to visit."

"I see Neon Lights a-plenty up ahead," Tandy informed, even though Nick and Judy could see them too.

"Zoogle Maps lists it as 'Le Paradis Du Fromage'," Nick informed.

Tandy sighed. "Yeah, that feels like a club that might have cheese offerings. Shall I see if I can get in? A lot of these places are probably member exclusive."

"We find that places frequented by mammals who have something to sell rarely are," Nick answered.

"Okay. Gonna just walk right up. They have a couple ladies by the door. They're dressed like they work at a place, so… Just... I dunno. Tell me what to say."

"No problem," Nick stated. "Just repeat after me, okay?" Judy did not mind Nick taking the lead here. He was a former con artist. Tandy could not ask for a better partner in this endeavor. Judy couldn't either.

The bunny watched the laptop screen in their dark, quiet booth pushed in close by her partner as if they were merely on a date. It felt kind of like a date, at least. There was soothing jazz-like music playing in the background.

"Excuse me," Tandy said, getting the attention of the two mice at the entrance. They regarded her skeptically.

"May we… help you?" the black and white one on the right asked. The grey one pulled up a tiny clipboard, regarding it.

"Uh oh. That feels like membership," Judy noted.

"Name?" asked the one with the clip board.

Nick spoke softly into the mic. "I'm Tanya Algernon, I am here to meet with Ben." Tandy repeated exactly what Nick said.

"Oh… Uh… okay…" replied the brown mouse, putting her clipboard immediately at her side. "I… Yes, please… Did you need anything? Can I take your…" She sucked in a deeper breath. "You don't have a coat. I'm silly. Yes. Of course. Please. Enjoy yourself. It's good to have you."

Judy glared at Nick. "What… did you do?"

"I told you, I know everyone." Her fox grinned. They watched the setting change as Tandy wandered into the club.

"Okay, so, that went well," Tandy whispered. She looked around, swiveling the camera view side to side. She clearly understood what was needed to make sure that Nick and Judy could both see where she was. It was a pretty standard club from what they could see, but it wasn't very busy. That wasn't a surprise. It wasn't very late.

"How're you doing?" the bunny asked their rat accomplice.

"Honestly? I'm terrified. I can barely move. Rat thing," she explained.

There was a long bar that ran along what looked like a conduit or a pipe. Two rats were seated at the bar, but there did not appear to be a bartender present. The two rats were involved in a conversation of some sort. At first glance, it appeared that a somewhat inebriated grey male rat was flirting very poorly with a patently uninterested tan-toned female rat. With the music, and Tandy's distance from the pair, it was impossible to hear them. That didn't matter to Nick, however, as he went right ahead and provided a soundtrack for their discussion.

The fox did the male's side first. "No, no, seriously, you should come and see my eraser collection, is all I'm saying. I've been collecting that since before the first wedge-shaped ones came out!"

"Oh God, Nick, please no," Judy pled.

He imitated the tan-toned female's voice poorly after that as she gestured wildly. "Am I supposed to be attracted to someone who openly collects a medium that suggests a propensity to mistakes?"

"Oh, like you're suddenly miss perfect-too-good-for-an-eraser?" Nick mockingly male-voiced.

He then returned in a female voice, "I don't get why you're so obsessed with that stuff anyway. Why would I care?"

Tandy laughed, and muttered under her breath, "Stop it, I'm gonna look crazy if you make me start laughing. Geeze!"

Nick continued, as the male rat became more obviously upset. "What do you have against someone having an eraser collection? Can't you see this is important to me?"

The female rat blew up, and while they were kind of audible at that point, Nick continued anyway, drowning her out. "I care about mammals and their interests, I just… Erasers? Why are you even telling me all of this?!" Tandy whined at Nick's continued antics.

"Slick, what are you doing?" giggled Judy

The fox went right on ahead with the male's response. "I like erasers for the same reason I like you, baby. They make everything… remarkable." Tandy squeaked, fighting with everything she had to restrain herself at Nick's antics.

"Stop that!" Judy laughed.

The lady jumped off her stool and slapped the other rat before turning and storming off. The male looked about, obviously terribly embarrassed, and realized that Tandy was looking. He took out sunglasses, perhaps to hide his expression out of shame. Nick went a different way with it, however.

He voiced for the male, "I guess I…" The assaulted rat put the sunglasses on. "... Rubbed her the wrong way." Tandy turned around, walking immediately out of earshot as she wailed with laughter, heading into what appeared to be a gaming area of the club. She tried to get herself under control.

"Seriously, Nick?" Judy chastised.

"Feel less scared, Tandy?" the fox asked kindly.

She answered on the other end softly, "Huh? Oh… Huh. Heheh… I guess I do. Yeah. Wow…"

Judy went silent, in awe. It was intentional. The whole thing wasn't just… Nick having fun. But it was just like Nick having fun. She suddenly reflected back to all the times he acted silly when the bunny felt it was entirely uncalled for.

"Okay, see the big table over there with all the rats playing cards? Go there," Nick commanded. Judy was just as deeply interested in what the fox actually intended to find here as the reporter surely was. The bunny knew how she might handle this herself but how her husband handled it intrigued her. When they did the undercover work at the naturalist club, they had a clear plan in place. Now, Nick was very much just improvising. He was in his element here, given his previous life experience, and it fascinated Judy to watch him now.

Tandy moved fairly smoothly over to the large (relatively) table. There were six rats playing cards at the table. It appeared to be some version of poker, but Judy couldn't be sure. She wasn't really a card player herself.

"Oh hey, missy!" sneered the largest of the rats. The bulky little mammal was about the size of Kris, so it immediately put Judy on edge. There were lots of big rats. It didn't have to be the same one. However, it was in a place where they expected to find someone who was involved because of their coyote-given tip.

"Don't mind me, I'm happy to watch. Waiting for a friend," Nick said.

"Don't mind me, I'm good just watching. I'm waiting for a friend," Tandy copied mostly.

"Sit close an' make a new friend, maybe?" grinned another rat. He was albino, his red eyes reminding the doe immediately of her sister.

"Ever see a jealous ferret?" Nick offered.

"Ever see a jealous ferret?" Tandy repeated. Judy gritted her teeth.

"Right. Don't sit near none of us," the white rat countered with obvious anxiety.

"That was … I didn't mean to say that," the fox admitted. Judy pinched the bridge of her muzzle.

"Worked anyway," the doe reluctantly observed. Tandy pulled a chair around to watch the other rats play as they laughed about the reporter's unexpected get out of flirting free card.

"So, Nick… Why this table? Let her know what to watch for," Judy pressed, wanting to at least let _herself_ in on whatever plan Nick had.

"They're not just playing for money. See on the table?" the fox pointed out. In Tandy's view were the little black, white, blue and red chips, but there were also a few other items that perhaps had been offered where chips ran out to keep someone in the game. Among them were two watches, a ring, a tiny mp3 player, and… oh.

"There's cheese on the table," Judy pointed out.

"In front of our albino fellow, yes," Nick stated. "The packaging looks immediately familiar."

"I see that," Judy returned, marveling that Nick noticed it as Tandy entered the area. "I guess Mike wasn't wrong about where to look."

"There's no label on it, though," Judy mentioned. "Gonna be hard to say where it's from."

The fox considered that a moment, then nodded, and spoke softly into the mic. "Tandy, wait a few hands and then mention that now you want cheese," he commanded. The view bounced up and down as Tandy nodded. "Don't nod inexplicably, by the way. Someone will think you are helping someone at the table." The head-bobbing stopped.

Several hands went by. A fact became immediately obvious. One of the three rats on the side of the table that Tandy was sitting on was clearly cheating. Judy might not play cards, but she knew that there were not 5 kings in a deck. The bunny suspected it was the white rat, since he had the most chips, some of the finery, and the cheese.

"Now I want cheese," dropped the reporter.

"They got some at the bar. You been here before, lass?" rumbled a much older grey-toned rat. That one looked like he should be on a boat or something.

Nick replied, "I have been, yes, but only to bring things, never to get things," which Tandy repeated.

"A courier, then. Not allowed to have no fun," chuckled a smaller black rat.

"She's allowed to have fun. Look at them hips," noted the largest rat saucily.

"Do they have that cheese over there? I might have some anyway," Nick stated. "Point at the white cheese on the table." The reporter did as she was asked. Judy worried about the danger of the operation since it was obviously subjecting Tandy directly to the criminal element, but they were not far from her, and she was in a crowded public place, shady or not. She was likely fine.

"This? Naw. It's from special reserve. It's special cheese. You can't get this no where," explained the large black rat. Judy made a mental note to compliment Nick on his tactical prowess. They now knew that while the white rat had the cheese, won it most likely, the large black rat was the probable original owner, since he knew it was special. It was mark number two against him, on top of fitting the description of the rat that followed Kris home.

Tandy laughed. "Well, _you_ got it, right?" she pressed without prompting from Nick. She was a reporter after all. She could investigate.

Their possible suspect nodded. "I know a guy. Makes this stuff special."

"Oh, okay, so I can't get it from a _store_ ," Nick instructed. The reporter copied him.

"That's right. I'd offer you a nibble, but as you kin see, it ain't mine no more." The other rats around the table laughed.

"Can I buy it offa you?" asked Nick. Tandy repeated that to the white rat. Judy understood what Nick was after. They could examine the cheese more closely at the station.

"Trade you for them sweet headphones," the white rat offered. Judy's heart sank. Of course that's what he'd want.

Nick immediately replied, "They're for my anxiety, I'm afraid." The reporter repeated this anxiously. "I go full thigmotaxis without them. A bunch of mammals laugh loudly and I'm right in a corner." Nervously, Tandy expressed this as well. Her genuine nervousness lent some credence to what Nick was saying. Some rodents and other small mammals would press themselves into corners and against walls for perceived safety as a throwback from the days where moving out into the open was a practical death sentence.

"Gotcha. Makes sense. Just noise cancelling then?" he asked.

The fox elaborated for Tandy to repeat. "No, I play a calming soundtrack on them to distract myself and not hyperfocus." Tandy passed this along, obviously calming. It was believable.

"Kin I hear?" asked the black rat.

"I…" Tandy started.

"Yes," Nick stated. Judy's heart raced. What was he doing?!

"Yes. I… Just please give them back," Tandy rambled nervously. She carefully removed the headset and offered them to the albino player. He casually put them on. The view changed to a super-worried Tandy who had suddenly been cut off from her backup. Nick immediately began speaking in the sweetest, most soothing tone Judy had ever heard him use.

"Imagine yourself in a tiny candlelit room. You can hear the pattering of a steady rain outside denying you the notion of venturing outside. In a posh and puffy recliner, you sip the finest wine you can recall. Your feet are kicked up. The busy day is over, and the rest of the day lends itself well to doing nothing at all. At the edge of sleep, you teeter, wavering, but never quite slipping so far away that you end your enjoyment of conscious relaxation. You cherish in this little cozy room the bliss of complete separation from the worries of the world." Judy watched, transfixed. How did he know how to say all of that stuff so evenly? Was it something that Carlisle had him practice? Was it to help him? He never talked about this stuff.

The expression of the black rat surely shifted to one of someone being spoiled. "Oh, this is actually really freakin' nice," he mumbled.

"Isn't it though?" the lady rat expressed with tension. Judy understood her apprehension. She had no idea what was even happening.

"Kin I try?" asked the white rat.

"Yes?" asked the black rat, nodding to the reporter. He at least appeared to care if Tandy needed them back right away.

"S-sure," said the lady rat nervously. Nick closed his eyes as she moved over to the other rodent, holding up a finger as if willing everyone around him to be silent. Slowly, a smuggish grin spread over his muzzle. Judy dropped her ears back. What in the whole of Zootopia was he doing?

"Here…" the headset was handed to the albino rodent. Nick continued to speak.

"In this room where the storm is shut out and all your comforts are protected and quiet, the low, smooth tones of cello music punctuate an opportunity to reflect on your day." Judy was in awe watching Nick actually perform a hustle first hand. She'd seen him be clever before, but this was on a different level. He was prepared, she felt, for nearly anything. Nick continued to speak, his voice only getting softer. "You settle in deeper into your comfy recliner and sip that sweet wine as you consider how close you came to being torn to shreds by the rest of the mammals at the table should they have realized that you were cheating."

What.

Judy cupped her muzzle. She watched as the white rat suddenly put his cards down and snap his attention to each of the other rodents at the table who just watched him curiously. His expression was probably not one of a soothed rodent.

Nick continued to speak. "Right, no one ever had to know, and you got to go home and enjoy your wine in your chair because you politely handed that yummy-looking cheese to the pretty lady rat who has only your risky secrets to offer in exchange. Yes, it was that choice that let you have this quiet, soothing moment to relax. You are in this cozy room on this quiet, rainy day because you're brilliant and you made the right choice." Judy watched Nick in near horror. He can't have planned that. It was all improvisation, right? How far ahead of her thought process was he?

"Interesting," the white rat stated evenly.

"I know. So calming," Tandy offered with a grin, having no idea what was just said. The headphones were handed back to her. Nick spoke immediately as she put them back on.

"I see that my friend has arrived, so I have to make my next delivery. How unfortunate that I didn't get a tip." Tandy repeated this exactly as Nick stated.

The cheating rodent spoke up. "Oh, hey, now… Now that uh… That ain't right. I… Here… You kin have this," he quickly offered, picking up the cheese and handing it to Tandy.

"Oh goodness!" the reporter chimed. "How kind of you!"

"Unwrap it and walk away nibbling it. But don't eat all of it. I need it for evidence," Nick said.

Tandy did as she was told, commenting that the cheese was good, but she didn't see what was so special about it.

"You freakin' flirt, I was gonna try'n win that back offa you," the black rat stated to his white-furred fellow player, sounding cross.

"Yeah, but I ain't got all night. Gonna have to head out in a bit myself," the white rat said, just as Tandy was moving out of earshot.

"Quittin' while yer ahead, eh?" asked the older rat. "Good on ye."

"Where now?" whispered Tandy.

"You can come straight back," Nick responded.

"What, really? Seriously?" the reporter whispered. "That's it? That's all we had to do?"

"Yeah, I got what I need. And once our white rat friend gets away from the table, he's likely to try and follow you to figure out who the heck you are. Best we don't give him time for that."

"You just wanted some of the cheese? You guys have plenty of it, right?" implied Tandy.

"Yeah, and we can compare the enzymes in this cheese to the sample you've got. If we link them, we know that our very large rat of interest can be brought in for questioning. Short of trying to find another warehouse full of this stuff, it's the best lead we've got."

Tandy exited the club, still talking. "That went a lot faster than I thought it would. You guys are... I mean you're really good at this. What did we find out? Who were those rats?"

"The big one used to work for a crime syndicate in Tundra town," the fox explained. Judy tensed up again. She could guess which one. "He ran afoul of them because he was making moves he wasn't given permission to make, and jumped the fence as it were, to find himself a bigger role in a more accepting boss. He's now number two under a guy who we suspect runs a smuggling ring through the canal district."

"Kitsune?" asked Judy. That was one of the more common names traded around where smuggling was concerned, though the information they had on that individual was tenuous at best, and their operation was not known to be very extensive. For obvious reasons, they were suspected to be a fox.

Nick answered. "That would be the one. But this kind of operation is kinda sloppy for Kitsune. I'm gonna bet that it's a freelance operation. That will give us some leverage I suspect. If Kitsune's not aware, Kitsune's not getting paid. That's a no-no."

"Hey, kin yew stop there a minute?" came a voice through the other side of the speakers. Nick and Judy looked up quickly to see Tandy turn around suddenly to find a rodent face right up close to hers. Tandy gasped and tried to pull away, but was snared by the arm. "Hey now, don't ya try to run, I jest have some questions ah gotta ask," growled the insistent voice on her end. He appeared shorter than Tandy, but it was hard to see anything as she kind of struggled. Judy got up, preparing to go into Little Rodentia to extract their 'agent'.

Their video linkup then showed a wonderful view of Tandy punching her assailant in the jaw with as much force as could possibly be necessary for a rat. He went down like a house of cards.

"Oh," Judy said, glancing to Nick, wondering if they should still go over there.

"Holy crap, I knocked him out. I knocked someone out. Guys, what should I do?" The lady rat sounded panicked. "I should run. Do I run? Oh, he's just a little guy, I shouldn't've hit him."

"No, hold on," Nick said earnestly. "Lean down. Roll him over… let me look at him again."

"You can't know literally everyone, Nick," Judy grumbled impatiently. They needed to move if they were going to make it to Tandy before the white rats other friends caught up with her. They moved on her really fast.

"Hold on, Fluff, I don't think that guy's with the others," Nick insisted. "Just let me look at him."

Carefully, fearfully, Tandy rolled over her assailant. It was a southern flying squirrel. He was, like most of his kind, smaller than an average rat, squarish build, with the odd flaps of skin down his side that would save his tail if he missed a jump. His gliding capabilities did nothing to save him from a rat-sized sucker punch.

"Ah. Yes. I was right. Tora's gonna have a field day with this one," the fox sighed.

"What?" Tandy and Judy both responded. The squirrel groaned softly as he stirred.

"Allow me to introduce Sacha Pines," Nick said evenly. Judy winced, pulling her ears back. Oh no.

"Who's that?" asked the worried rat reporter.

"Lieutenant Sacha Pines," Judy groaned. "He's the lead detective for Precinct 3."

"Well… shit." Tandy grumped.

"Do you need some more ice?" asked Tandy. The little baggie only had two cubes in it, and those had completely melted.

"Naw, it's pretty numb now, thank ya'll vurry much." The squirrel sounded a lot like Gideon when Judy thought about it. He probably came from down in the boroughs somewhere.

"I've given the information to Pawlander," Nick said, pocketing his phone again. They were in the parking lot of the little coffee house that Nick and Judy had made their base. After coming to, Judy spoke with the recovering detective via the headphones and they agreed to meet there.

The small squirrel rubbed his jaw. "It shouldn't surprise ya'll that the fuzz was on that club too. Wish you'd've coordinated with us. We coulda avoided all this."

"You know how that stuff usually goes," Nick explained. "It's not like we were doing an arrest, we were just…"

"Snoopin' around, yeah, I get it. At least you didn't run a weasel through downtown." He glared at Judy.

"Can you pick our buddy Felix up once the cheese gets tested and we get the warrant sent in?" asked Nick. That was the name of the large black rat. "Pawlander's prepared to secure the warrant, but I'm pretty sure just on scent that we're dealing with the same stuff."

"I reckon," he sighed. "They really had… Hopps cheese?" he asked. "I'm thinkin' that wouldn't'a gone over so hot here, honestly."

"They had that and a bunch of others," Nick stated. "Based on what they said to one of our witnesses, I feel like it might be something more Happytown specific, though. They seemed to indicate they felt their territory was being infringed on there."

The squirrel officer shrugged mildly. "That would make sense. Happytowner's got a darker sense of humor I bet. And, Felix won't be hard, he's pretty small potatoes, but we ain't got access to some of his friends out Happytown way, so… that's on ya'll."

"Thank you for that. Sorry again about the…" Judy gestured to Pine's face.

"Naw, it's fine. Kinda mah fault too, yeah? Shoulda stayed back and informed the lady who I was. Mah partner's still hangin' out in the club by the bar. Texted him already, so I'm guessin' he's done had a drink to mah poor snoot. He jest told me that Tandy there seemed to upset some folks we know to be not nice fellows, so I was worried about her."

Nick nodded at that, and then perked his ears as his phone went off. He took it out. It was playing a tune Judy recognized. A deep, thumping bass tone used to represent the smallest vulpine that the bunny knew.

"Yellow?" the red fox jovially replied. Judy heard very angry low-pitched Finnick grumbling on the other side.

"Oh, what? Wait, slow down," Nick responded.

"Is everyting okay?" Judy mouthed to her husband. Nick covered the mic on his phone.

"Finnick got home from his shift at the radio station early because they're switching him to mornings or something, but when he went in the apartment … Hold on Fin. Hold up, I'm – I got it, we'll explain, just… Uh-huh. Yeah, Sam's helpin' out. That's good. He'll get that straightened out. Judy and I will be back in a little bit. Sit tight, Fin." The phone disconnected and Nick sighed heavily again.

"Fin… scared Kris, didn't he?" asked Judy.

"Yeah. He scared Kris," her mate responded.

"Kris?" asked Tandy.

"She's the otter that owns the gas station where they were making the cheese," Nick responded. "She was kit-sitting for us."

"For… for us?" asked the squirrel, eyes growing very round.

"We needed her someplace other than her apartment while we followed up on the rats who were harassing her," Judy explained, ignoring the obvious question about whose kit Sam was supposed to be.

"That seems pretty unconventional," responded the rat reporter.

"But," Pine interrupted.

"What'd she do to Fin?" asked Judy.

"Went Full Tandy on him," explained the fox. Judy winced at that. Poor Finnick. At least Tandy wasn't very large.

"Please don't call it that," Tandy whimpered.

"Is this all normal at Precinct 1?!" came a little shout from Detective Pine.

The bunny shook her head slowly. "So, she went into full protect the little fox kit mode, wow… Is Fin okay?"

"Yeah, but we're gonna need to do something nice for him since lack of communication has struck again. She thought it was Felix because of his size and it was dark because she and Sam were watching The Wizard of Paws with the lights off and she let him have it the second he walked in the door. Fortunately Sam realized it wasn't a rat and remembered him Muzzletiming us after our wedding to rip on me for not understanding the whole bunny fox chasing dynamic. That spared him from being further injured by an end table."

"I'm just…" Sacha inhaled deeply, the little squirrel putting his paws down by his sides. "I'm gonna have mah partner pick up Felix and process him before this stuff gets me in eny deeper than I already am."

"We need to head back," Nick expressed.

"Angry Finnick or not, I am so ready to go home," Judy laughed.


End file.
